Friday 31 August 2012

Product Review: Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Night Cream

Honestly, I have never paid attention to Dr Organic products. They are mostly sold in health food shops and in a very little quantities at the drugstores. They are quite cheap, which always was the one factor that made me think that products that cheap can't be effective. Until  I decided to completely change my lifestyle and pay more attention to natural and organic products. I already mentioned Dr Organic Royal Jelly Cellulite Cream, which I really liked and a while ago I was passing by Holland and Barret shop, which usually stocks full range of all Dr Organic products, and saw that they have a new range - Organic Moroccan Argan Oil. It was very fortunate as I was looking for a hair oil to complement my new natural hair care. Until now I was using L'Oreal Mythic Oil, which is fine, but not totally organic. So after carefully checking all ingredients in the new line I picked up a Hair Treatment Serum from this line - I will do a separate review on it once I'll have a proper try. As all products were buy one get one half price I had to buy something more. I did needed a night cream, so I decided to try Dr Organic one from Moroccan Argan Oil line.
I only had it for a week and maybe it is too early to judge, but I am totally in love with this little gem and can't really find anything wrong with it, so I had to share it with the rest of the world.


First, what I really like about this cream  - the ingredient list. It's beautiful and absolutely natural, pure and organic. As the hair serum was the most expensive of the two products I got this one for £4.50.
It is a very rich cream, with very interesting smell. It is very hard to describe this scent - not sweet, but not awful at all. On the packaging it says that cream can be used at night time or as often as needed on the face AND body. That was very surprising, considering the fact that they have a body cream in the range...
Anyway, cream is very good for repairing skin, treating dehydration and it also claims to have anti-aging properties. I was a bit worried that this cream will be too heavy for my combination skin, especially as it has so many oils in it. But it surprised me a lot. It is not heavy at all and it is different form any rich creams that I have used before. Usually rich cream is very thick and makes my skin look shiny/greasy. This one didn't. It has very thick texture, but upon application my skin had matt-like finish. It absorbs very quickly and your skin becomes dry to touch instantly. However, cream is very moisturizing, keeps the skin very smooth and comfortable. All my dry skin patches are gone and I always wake up to a soft, glowing and beautiful skin. Every mornign I was carefully examining my skin and I couldn't find any faults. It was beautiful, I looked rested and radiant. Not bad for a £9 cream! I am totally sold. Now I am willing to try more products from that range and if you are interested I can review them as well.
Have you tried any of Dr Organic products? What did you think of them? Let me know your thoughts.

Love

Lace Butterfly

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Few Little Tricks For Beautiful Skin

This is a follow up to my post about how I got rid off acne. There are some things I forgot to mention.
  1. Drink 2-3 liters of water every day. It is the obvious rule, but very effective. I notice a difference in my skin straight away as I tend to drink less water in the winter. Water purifies our skin from the inside and helps to keep it clean and glowing.
  2. Change your pillowcase every week. Especially if you suffer from acne. Bacteria is building up on our pillowcases, so it is wise to change it frequently. The best option is every two days, but once a week is good enough, too.
  3. Have a separate towel for your face. Never use the same towel that you use on your body to dry your face. It has build up of bacteria and hair products, so I always have a small towel just for my face.
  4. Try to sleep on your back. I have no idea how as sleeping on mu stomach is the best sleeping position for me. However, I am trying to fight it and sleep on the back. So far - unsuccessful. If you know any tricks on how to change this habit - please let me know.
  5. Take supplements. I try to get all my vitamins and nutrients from my diet, but there are some things that I can't get this way. Also I don't eat fish and seafood, which is very wrong, but that's just how I am... That's why I am taking fish oil capsules every day to get some Omega 3,6,9 acids, which are essential for beautiful skin, hair and nails.
  6. Miracle water. You know my obsession with Katia's blog and you-tube videos (harmonyof beauty). She has a recipe for a special drink, which you have to drink every morning when you wake up. Most of the experts advise us to start a day with a glass of water, preferably with lemon. Well this is even better. At first, all the ingredients might seem weird, but it tastes good and does miracles (hence the name). You can see her video about it here if you are Russian speaking and here for those who speak English. There she explains everything in details, also the quantities of each ingredient and the benefits of them. Most of the benefits you already know, as ingredients are: water, apple vinegar, honey, aloe juice and lemon juice. Since I started drinking this water in the mornings I feel more refreshed, have more energy and my skin became clear and glowy - no more breakouts!

So try it out and you will see results, however, consult your doctor if you have problems with stomach, acid levels or if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Hope this helps


Love

Lace Butterfly

Yes to Carrots and Yes to Tomatoes = My New Love

I heard about this company before, but never had a chance to try it's products. Honestly I never even paid too much attention on this brand - not sure why. Until my recent decision to start using more organic products. Now the Yes To... line is not 100% organic, but it is nearly there. Most of the products are 99.4% - 99.8%. I guess it is due to the Parfum, which is the only chemical ingredient which I know and which is in the ingredient list. I tried few products from this line and instantly fell in love, so in the future I am going to try more. Here is the overview of products I have so far:

Yes To Carrots Nourishing Body Lotion


This is amazing product. Absolutely gorgeous! It is thick lotion, which is very easy to blend and it disappears into your skin instantly so no need to rub it in for ages. It is not greasy, so the bonus point is that you can get dressed straight away and it has very gentle smell of..... carrots :)
In the beginning I wasn't sure about it as it sunk in into my skin and it felt dry - I don't mean dry as a skin concern, but dry like if you would wiped yourself with a towel - no residue at all. Usually all lotions, no matter how light they are, leave at least some residue, which makes you feel like you just applied a lotion. This product doesn't have it. However, the moisturizing properties of this lotion are amazing!!! I usually use this lotion after the shower in the evening and my skin still feels moisturized in the following morning and sometimes even in the afternoon.
It is a truly great product - makes my dry skin soft, supple and velvety-like.

Yes To Tomatoes Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner


This was my first attempt at trying natural shampoo, which has no parabens and SLS. I searched all over the Internet for brands and reviews on them and so far non of them convinced me to try them. Another point is the high price - for some reason all natural shampoos are very expensive. 

Yes To Tomatoes come in huge 500ml bottles, however it didn't surprise me. People say that it is SLS that makes all shampoos lather so good and as natural shampoos has no SLS they don't lather that good so yuo need more of the product.
I have long hair so on my first use I used more than I should. This picture was taken after my first use of both products and you can see how much is gone - too much.
Firstly, this shampoo lathers brilliantly! So you really need a small amount and the bottle will last for a very long time. Second, the product smells amazingly tasty. It has very delicate scent which does stay, but it is very gentle, fresh and not overpowering at all.
Both products are amazing! Shampoo cleanses the hair brilliantly - they really feel squeaky clean and conditioner makes them very soft, manageable and shiny. I did notice improvement in the volume of my hair as well - only after one use! Something I was never able to achieve even with expensive brands. At the same time hair were feeling very lightweight and it was very easy to comb them.
My only disappointment is the packaging for the conditioner. The product is extremely thick, so it is very difficult to squeeze it out through the tiny whole in the cap, so I have to unscrew it to get the product out.

Yes To Tomatoes Skin Clearing Facial Mask


Another beautiful product! It comes i a 50ml jar - which is the only downside. Having long nails doesn't make the application of this product a pleasant procedure. The mask smells amazing! Not like a typical clay mask - it has some sweet and delicious smell - good enough to eat! :)

The product does everything it says on the box - clears the skin, tightens the pores, makes skin very smooth and it doesn't leave you with tight and dry feeling on your face.
All these products are wonderful and I regret that I never tried them earlier. I recently purchased Yes To Carrots shower gel and am planning on trying Yes To Tomatoes Moisturizer. Another great point is that all products are very affordable and currently on sale on beauty bay and feelunique.com.
Let me know your thoughts on natural products - which brands have you tried? Did they work for you?


Love

Lace Butterfly

Friday 24 August 2012

Beautiful Skin - How I Got Rid of Acne

Pictures, like the one above always made me jealous. This girl's skin looks so flawless and beautiful, that I have a sudden desire to touch it. And to have it myself. Now, my skin is not that perfect, but it is in so much better condition. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of me before, so I can't show it to you for comparison. I had whole face covered with acne - blackheads, whiteheads - you name it, I had it all. It started when I was in my teens, but, unfortunately for me, my Mum had no idea what to do, so her only advice was to wait, as when I will get older my skin will sort itself out. I never owned a moisturizer or a face wash - all I used was a soap and sometimes a bit of original Nivea Creme.
So guess mu surprise, when I got 19 then 20, then 22 and no changes happened. Then I started earning my own money and was able to buy products to take care of my skin properly.

SINNERS

Proactiv Solutions
Yes, I tried it and it didn't help. It worked in the beginning, but after second set my skin got used to it and all problems came back, including a new one - products made my skin extremely dry and flaky. I did like the face mask, but it wasn't available for sale seperately, so in the end I cancelled my subscription


Clinique 3 Step System
No, no and no again. This is a waste of money. The soap always left some residue on my skin, lotion burnt my skin and made it dry and moisturizing lotion was too greasy for me. Consultant at the Clinique counter refused to believe my claims, when I came to her with my problem - she said it is impossible for 3 step system to be ineffective. But it was. I really wanted to like it and I tried it for a whole month, but I did not like the results. 


Garnier Pure Active

It did help in the beginning, but after using it every day my skin got very dry, sore and red, so I had to stop using it. 


WINNERS

As all these popular products did not work for me, I knew I had to make some significant changes overall and look at my skincare regime from another perspective. So one of the changes was to stop using face toners. Their only job is to remove the possible leftover traces of makeup that you might have after cleaning your face. So basically it was a waste of money as well. Also I discovered that it was enough for me to wash my face properly once a day - in the evening, after whole day of wearing makeup. In the morning all I do is splash my face with water. In the evening I do a proper cleans and follow two rules: never go to bed without taking a makeup off. That is very important and will cause you problems if you will. And second rule: try not to use the face wipes, unless you really have to. Theya re quick and easy to use and I used to use them instead of a proper face wash, but since I stopped I saw improvement in my skin and it's tone.
Now to the products. These are the products that work for me, I did a lot of research and testing, before concluding what works best for me.

Clarisonic Mia

Beautiful device! Cleans skin perfectly, makes it smooth and helps to get rid off stubborn blackheads. I use it in the evening only. When I first got it I used it twice a day, but it was too much for my skin, so I decided to use it in the evenings. Also I use it 2-3 times a week. It really does clean the skin very effectively, so it is worth to invest in it.


PMD Personal Microderm
i discovered this little beauty through You-Tube and ordered it on line from official PMD web site. As it was coming from US I had to wait the whole month for it to arrive. It is a brilliant tool. I used to have dremabrassion sessions done in salons and I do know what a great effect it has on the skin, so having one at home is wonderful option. It costs £124.99 and is worth the price. It comes with two nozzles - one small for a face and one big one for body. It also comes with discs, which have aluminum oxide coating and are available in three colors: blue, green and red. My set came only with blue (for sensitive skin) and green (medium grit). It also has DVD with instructions, so you have to watch it first. The device itself removes the top layer of the dead skin and you have to use it once a week. After using it skin becomes very smooth - no scrub will ever give you this effect. 

Originally I ordered it for improving my acne scars and so far I am happy with results. Now they sell it in UK as well and you can find it here.

MD Formulations Facial Cleanser Cleanses and Exfoliates

This cleanser is also brilliant. I discovered it on You-Tube as well. It has 12% glycolic acid, so it is very effective chemical exfoliant. It has a mild chemical smell which is not too bad and overall it is a pearly white gel. I massage it on a dry skin, with my make up on (of course you can't use it on the eye area, so I remove my eye make up separately). After massaging for few seconds I leave it on for 30 sec and then rinse of. After that skin is very smooth and make up dissolves instantly. I do not need to double cleanse as there is no dirt or make up to remove. It also is very effective in fading the acne scars. I use it three times a week, and when I use this gel I will not wash my face with Clarisonic. Also you must remember that all products with glycolic acid make your skin sun sensitive, so sunscreen is a must if you are using this product.


Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex
My absolute must have product! After cleaning my face I apply 3 drops of this serum, following with my favorite moisturizer and job done! This serum is aimed at repairing your skin and reversing all the damage done to it while you sleep. This little beauty changed the look of my skin dramatically! I do not have acne anymore, scars are fading, skin is smooth, texture is improved and skin tone is more even. Beautiful. I had a 30ml bottle and it lasted me for 6 months so don't be afraid of the big price tax. I absolutely recommend it to everyone!


So basically this is it. I do not use toners or scrubs, only the products listed above plus the favorite night and day moisturizers. If somebody is interested I can do a separate review on the moisturizers that I am using, however I am still on a hunt for a perfect eye cream. Also I will write a post about good/bad face masks and acne scar fading treatments. Hope you will be interested!


Love


Lace Butterfly

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Nails of the Month

It is the middle of August and it means it's time for having my nails done again. So here you go - the end result. Yellow gel on the tips and blue flower in the middle. While it is still summer (British summer is simply awful) I decided to have sunny colors. This yellow one actually looked much more brighter in the jar, but I quite like this pastel finish. Still very summery and fun. What do you think?


Love


Lace Butterfly

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Dry Skin: My Attempt To Fight It

I normally have combination skin. It is oily on T-zone and normal on the cheeks during summer and normal on T-zone and dry on cheeks during winter. Usually I have quite a lot of dryness in winter, but with the arrival of spring my skin tend to go back to normal quite fast. However, this year it was a different story. During winter I had really dry and flaky skin. Sometimes it was red, sensitive and sore. In cases like this I use Avene Rich Moisturizer, but it did not help, so I had to find something else. Some products helped a bit, but were unable to improve the situation completely. Now it is August and I still have dryness - my skin is just refusing to be normal, like it used to be. Here I would like to tell about those remedies that I tried.
There are two products that are missing from the picture - Trilogy Rosehip Oil and Boots No7 Beautiful skin Cleansing Balm for very dry skin. I was thinking that oil would help, but I was wrong. It disappeared into my skin very quickly and had no results - my face was still very dry, flaky and tight. The cleansing balm did absolutely nothing and was horrible - the smell, the texture and the after feel - awful! Completely useless product!
Now, let's go back to my picture and see what we have here.

1. Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Shea Butter.

I got this as a sample, when I was buying the cream and I must say it is very nice. It has a light foam and very delicious smell and at the same time it feels very gentle on the skin. It cleanses very well and doesn't leave skin dry or tight. Really nice.

2. Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask for Dry/Very Dry Skin

This one is interesting. You have to apply it on your face, wait for ten minutes and then wipe it off with cotton wool. It has very runny texture, so be careful - few times when I applied it on to my face it was just slowly dripping down. It doesn't dry like clay masks and it doesn't stay on - it actually sinks in to the skin. My skin was extremely dry and this was like a nice drink for my thirsty face. Sometimes I had some residue left after waiting for ten minutes, but sometimes I had nothing to wipe off.
It makes skin feeling alive and fresh. No sign of dryness at all. When you wipe it off it feels like butter - thick and very greasy, but my skin loved it and felt so much better. Highly recommend it.

3. Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Dry Skin Rescue

This one was wonderful as well. It is a thick balm with velvety feel, which applies easily on to the skin and makes all those flaky bits to disappear in an instant. However, this effect is only temporary - when you wash you face - it is dry again. So it is not really healing the skin, but it makes it look OK for the time being. Also it is a great as a base for the make up.

4. Clarins HydraQuench Rich Cream for Dry Skin or Cold Climates

This beauty is the star of the whole lot and the only thing that actually helped my skin. I am still using it and I must say - it is a beautiful product. It is available in a lotion form for normal skin and in a cream form for dry skin. As my skin was in such a horrible state I decided to go for Rich version.
It smells amazing! It is very rich so you only need a little bit and the whole jar will last for a very long time. My skin never felt so good. After applying this cream it feels smooth, supple, well moisturized and glowing. Now I occasionally have some dry bits, but they are not so noticeable like they used to be. My skin is not sensitive or sore, redness is gone and it feels very comfortable. Definitely 5 out of 5!


5. La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense

This product also is available in rich and light versions, I have rich one. Honestly I was hugely disappointed. I heard a lot of good reviews about La Roche Posay products and I do like some of them, but this product didn't work for me. It was supposed to be suitable for people with sensitive skin, but after applying it I had a strong burning sensation, my face was red and I had to reapply it frequently during the day as dryness became visible and my skin was feeling tight. So this is a big no no for me. Sorry La Roche Posay...


Anyway, those were the products that I tried and the only ones that I am still using are the face mask, Clarins cream and cleanser. Other ones are just wasting away in my cupboard.
What about you? Anyone here is a dry skin sufferer? What works for you? Let me know, I'll be happy to know.


Love

Lace Butterfly

Monday 6 August 2012

Eternal Fight With Cellulite

This is the worst nightmare for all women. That "orange peel effect". We all hate it and we all have it. It is a very difficult battle, but with hard work, determination and patience we can win! Now I am not a professional and I haven't tried absolutely all miracle potions available, but I did try a few tricks and I am willing to share my experience. But let me clarify straight away - all those creams will not help you. Not on their own. You have to do so much more to improve the look of your tights.

Eat well


That is one of the essential rules that we must follow. Do not eat junk as it only will make matters worse. Healthy, low fat food will make you feel better and you will be healthier. There are so many good foods that actually help fighting the cellulite, so it is important to have well - balanced diet. Also less fat means smaller risk of getting cellulite.

Stay Hydrated

Our boy needs water, so it is crucial to drink around 2-3 liters of water. It purifies, hydrates and helps to detoxify our body. It also helps to keep skin healthy and glowing.

Exercise

Combining good diet with sport is the ultimate way how to get rid of the problem. Exercise will burn the fat and will help to get rid of the most stubborn problems. Since I started exercising I noticed that the look of my cellulite is improving. I have been advised to start running for 1/2 - 1 hour a day, which will give even better results.

Try Dry Body Brushing 


Very important step for good looking skin. Dry body brushing improves blood circulation, warms up the skin and works it's magic on fat cells beneath the skin by smoothing it out. Try to use brush with natural bristles and don't be afraid of them being too harsh. I use the cactus brush from Body Shop  it is great, feels soft and nice on the skin. Try to do it every day, befor going to the shower. Start with the bottom of your legs and go upwards.

Massage Your Tights

You can do it with or without creams. Possibly with creams results will be even better, but for some reason I never tried that - I prefer massaging without creams. That also helps to smooth out those lumpy bits and improve blood circulation.

Exfoliate


When in shower, try using your favorite body scrub and massage it into the problem areas. It will remove dead skin, improve circulation, massage the lumpy bits and will help your skin to stay firm and toned. You can also use loofah, or any sponges made from natural ingredients.
I like to use exfoliating gloves - they are very easy to use and I prefer to use them rather than sponges.

Creams That I Have Tried


I am not going to list all of the - only the most recent ones. The first one is Good Bye Cellulite from Nivea. It is a very cooling and refreshing gel. It makes skin very soft, but after using up all tube I did not notice any difference.

Also I tried Dr Organics Cellulite Cream with Royal Jelly. It has natural ingredients and smells like propolis, which I find quite pleasant. It doesn't have a gel consistency - it is a proper rich cream. Possibly that is the reason why it is so hard to rub in - it takes ages to absorb. However, I like this fact, because that makes me massage my skin longer than I usually would and that way it can deliver results. It makes my skin absolutely beautiful and soft. My cellulite is less visible, but I am not sure if it is due to the fact that this cream is working, or because I am combining all the points listed above. Anyway, I think it is worth to try.
My recent purchase - Soap & Glory Sit Tight Intense XS Body Serum. I use this one in the mornings - you just twist the cap, press it to the skin and massage it. While you are doing it the gel comes out and covers your tights. It says you have to wait for 3 min and then get dressed. Honestly - it takes much longer than that. It feels very sticky and it activates when you sit down - it starts heating up. Sometimes I felt like my bum was on fire and on other days I felt nothing... Be careful not to get it in your eyes or anywhere else - it will burn without sitting :))) I am not sure, but it is possible that this cream could help a bit.

Lately I started using just simple body lotion with firming properties and massaging that in. I don't think that the results will be worse. We will see.

And Another Thing...


There are of course other ways how to fight cellulite, from salon procedures, to home made remedies. I heard that massaging problem areas with citrus oil is effective. Also I herd good reviews from clay masks  - you prepare the mixture according to recipes (there are loads available) and then cover the area with cling film. Whatever works for you. Let me know if you have some special tricks that work and that you like to use - I would like to try something new. And remember - we can win this fight and have a bum like this..... :)
Love


Lace Butterfly