Product Review: Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara

This is my first ever purchase of natural eye makeup. This mascara appeared recently in UK and I decided to give it a go as at that moment I needed a new one. My lashes are quite long, but they lack in color, so what I look for in mascara is good pigment, volume and curl. Origins new mascara claims to be lengthening, brightening and lifting.
I prefer dry formulas as they are the ones which give me a proper curl and hold it during the day. Unfortunately, I was unable to find mascara with dry formula. Usual mascaras are too wet for me - they weight down my eyelashes and they look awful. That is why I get the desired effect only after multiple uses, when product starts drying out.
The reason why I decided to try out natural mascara is partly because of my new lifestyle, but also because my usual mascara started to irritate my eyes. I had a horrible feeling that I have sand in my eyes and they were constantly itching. So here it is - Origins GinZing...

It is available only in black color, which is fine for me as I don't use any other colors anyway. The brush is enormous! It is twice bigger than my whole eye. The formula is quite wet, so I thought again I will  have to wait for few weeks, before I can decide whether I like it or not. I was very wrong... When I first applied it, I thought "Wow!". It was amazing! Very rich color, no clumping, no flaking and most importantly it did everything that was listed on the packaging! It made my lashes longer, gave a bit more volume and curled them nicely! The curl stayed on all day long and my lashes looked beautiful! I never had this effect from the first use of mascara... Never! Amazing!
I also like the packaging, which is not the usual black tube. It is very nice, a bit heavy and fashionably looking. Seriously, I can't find any faults. Totally recommend!

Here are my eyelashes before applying the mascara

Here they are after applying one coat of Origins GinZing

Very nice! One coat is completely enough for me, but you can apply as much as you need for a more dramatic look, as it is possible to build up the volume.
Have you tried GinZing? Let me know if you know any good natural mascaras, I would love to hear from you.

Love

Lace

Product Review: Dr.Jart+ Regenerating BB Beauty Balm SPF30

I apologize for the poor quality of the picture - it was very hard to get decent photo of this product as the packaging was mirror-like...
During the summer I thought that idea of wearing moisturizer and foundation was not the best one. I needed something lighter, like BB cream or tinted moisturizer. The only issues I have with those products are:

1. They have very light or no coverage and
2. They have little or no SPF

Then I found the range of Dr.Jart BB creams in my local Boots. I think there are total of four different creams aimed at different skin concerns:

1. Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF40 - Provides high SPF40 protection with anti-oxidants. A slightly glossy, low coverage cream which helps fight aging. Particularly suitable for those over 30
2. Dr Jart+ Platinum Beauty Balm SPF30 - Provides high coverage in a light application. The moisturizing lotion is particularly suitable for those in their 30s
3. Dr Jart+ Regenerating Beauty Balm SPF30 - Provides strong coverage for redness and spots which won't rub off as easily as traditional cosmetics. Skin will look brighter, whilst still suitable for problem and sensitive skin. Particularly suitable for those between 20 and 35
4. Dr Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF25 - ideal for those aged 20-35s with a soft application which gives natural, fresh looking skin and controls sebum production

All options are really great as they have quite high SPF and target various skin issues. My main issue is acne scars, so I need the best coverage possible and sun protection as I am using products with glycolic acid. So I chose No.3. I did try to take a picture so you could see the ingredients, so let's hope they will be visible.

On the box it says that it is alcohol free, promotes cell regeneration, helps eliminate blemishes and it contains sunscreen, macadamia ternifolia seed oil (lubricates the surface of the skin), jojoba seed oil ( calming and smoothing out the skin) and the most horrible ingredient - snail secretion filtrate (hydrating and moisturizing)!!! Oh God...When I realized that I will be wearng sail secretion on my face I nearly died... But I was willing to try.
The cream is very thick. It is not greasy at all. The coverage is great - I barely need any concealer - only on my very deep and dark scars. It is not matte, but it is not shimmery as well, however, I do have a soft glow on my skin which I like a lot. The staying power is really impressive - no need for powder at all, as this cream stayed put for at least five hours. It is very pigmented so you need a very little amount to cover your face and the tube will last forever.
Also it doesn't give you a heavy feeling of foundation. In terms of regeneration - I did notice a little improvement in my skin, but it is hard to tell as I don't wear makeup every day. And another bonus - it is very moisturizing! I tend to have dry patches on my skin - with this cream they are not visible at all.

There is only one problem with all creams in the range - there are no color selections. They all have only one color and it is very light. I usually use light/medium colors, but this one is  a bit too light for me. If you have olive skin tone - it will not suit you, so it is best suitable for very pale girls.
Overall I really like this cream and enjoy using it - it has good coverage and sun protection - everything I really need in a product.
Have you tried any of those creams? What do you think? Let me know what are your favorite BB creams.

Love

Lace

Product Review: Sk:n Anti Blemish Intense Spot Lotion

Since recently I noticed an increase in my breakouts because of Avene D-Pigment I stopped using it altogether on my face and decided to treat the blemishes with this spot lotion. In the past I tried few - mostly cheap ones or the ones you can buy in pharmacy that has tea tree oil in it. They all dried my skin out, but didn't help with breakouts. What attracted me in this spot treatment is that amongst its ingredients it has both - glycolic and salicylic acids. The first acid, also known as AHA acid is aimed at clearing the top layer of the skin, the other one - BHA acid is aimed at goin deep into the skin and pores.
This gel is supposed to be applied only on the spots and not to the whole face. I applied it twice a day on affected areas and my skin cleared up already on the second day.
The gel itself is clear with slight yellow tint to it. It has some medicinal smell and sometimes stings when it is applied on to the blemish. It does dry out the skin a bit and in my case even makes it feel a bit tight, but the product is invisible under make up, which is really good - usually these kind of treatments start creasing when I try to apply foundation on top of it. Overall I am impressed as it did help to heal and clear my skin, so I am always having it on my bedside table for emergencies. Try it out and let me know what you think.


Love

Lace

Acne Scars - How To Make Them Dissapear?

Yes, it is the most asked question, especially for those who had acne and cured it. Acne by itself is a huge problem - it ruins your looks and knocks down your confidence. Curing it is very long and difficult battle. We all think that when it is cured all problems will be over, but no. One problem is gone, another appears. Acne scars. Uneven skin texture. Huge pores. Dark or red spots/scars left by those horrible blemishes.
I tried many products, which claim that they help eliminate acne scars, but most of them don't work. At least for me. here is my story:

Bio Oil

For some people it works, for me it did nothing... I really wanted to like this, but.... nothing happened. I went through 3 (!) bottles of it - and not the small ones, but the 200ml ones - the biggest size available. I was applying it only to areas with scars and marks and as you can imagine three huge bottles lasted me a very very long time, but unfortunately - no results. Not a single one! Very upsetting and disappointing.

Verdict: 2/5

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

I wanted to like this one as well as it promises to minimize the appearance of scars and improve the condition of skin. I went through two big bottles of this oil and saw little improvement. And for some reason it made my skin very dry... Why? Have no idea..

Verdict: 3/5

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Scar Serum

Absolutely horrible!!!! Sticky, greasy and smells like fish. Does nothing for your skin apart from making all the dust and your own clothes to stick to it... I barely made myself finish the bottle. That is all I have to say about it...

Verdict: 1/5

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

Beautiful! Really works! I only used up one bottle of this, as back then it was too expensive for me, so I wasn't able to buy another one. The only problem I have is the packaging - the bottle is white and even when empty it still feels heavy so I had no idea at some point how much of the product I used up and how close to the end I am. But overall this product is great - silky, lightweight, doesn't cause breakouts and I did see improvement in my scars. I used the moisturizer with the similar name from this line, but it wasn't as effective as this serum

Verdict: 4/5

Alpha H Liquid Gold

I already told about this one, so you know that it works as well. The problem with this is it might not be the best solution to use in winter as it dries out the skin. In terms of acne scars it really helps to lighten them. Of course you will not see the results straight away, like with all these products, but they will be visible. Just be patient.

Verdict: 4/5

Avene D-Pigment Light Dark Spot Lightener

This is the latest product that I have tried. It says in the instructions that you need at least 30 days to see the improvements. This is exactly what I did. And I must say, there are some improvements and the best thing is that I haven't used up even half of the tube (30ml).
D-Pigment Light Dark Spot Lightener combines 3 active ingredients: Melanyde to slow down the production of melanin (pigment), Retinaldehyde to help eliminate excess melanin in the skin and Pre-tocopheryl, a vitamin E precursor (powerful antioxidant) to protect the skin cells from free radicals. This product must be used only at night, and applied only to areas that need to be treated. The cream is yellow cream with no smell. I have the Light version, for dry skin Rich version is available. I must say I did notice few breakouts in the areas where I was applying this cream, but I am not sure if it is because of the product or something else.
My main area of concern were my upper arms. I even took photos so I could see the change.

This is my upper arm on the first day of treatment.

And this is 30 days after. I am not sure if only the cream worked as once a week in addition to everything I am using my Microderm tool, which helps as well. But here it is - not too big, but some improvements. I will update what happens when I'll finish the whole tube, but so far I am happy.

Update: I stopped using it on my face as I noticed a significant increase in breakouts exactly in those areas where I am applying this product. Once I stopped my skin cleared in 2 days. So it does cause breakouts. I am still using it on my upper arms, as on my body I have dry skin so it is not affected that mush by heavy creams.

Verdict: 3/5 only because it is breaking me out

Another point is that there are other natural remedies available, like using lemon or raw potatoes or making masks with honey, lemon and apple vinegar - I tried some of them and can't really say that they helped. Maybe I'm just impatient, who knows. In the skin clinic I was told that the only thing that will help me to get rid off acne scars is the chemical peel, but it is painful, extremely expensive and very unpleasant for at least a week. So for now I'll stick to these remedies.
What about you? Do you know any tricks? What helped you? Let me know.

Love

Lace

Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum

I like using additional hair treatments, masks, serums and oils. Until recently I was using L'Oreal's Mythic Oil, which was fine, but as I decided to go organic and natural it wasn't an option anymore. I found this serum by accident, passing by my local Holland and Barret store. It got my attention because of really pure, natural and organic ingredients and because of Argan oil itself. I am not going to list you all benefits of Argan oil - Internet has various sources, which explain and list huge amount of information regarding this topic.

I have dark and quite long hair - they go up to my waist. Since I started using Yes to Tomatoes Volumizing shampoo and conditioner they became more healthy and shiny and this particular serum is a great addition to my haircare regime.

I really love the packaging - so far it is the nicest looking bottle on my bathroom shelf. I like the proper heavy glass bottle. It gives it more expensive vibe. I also love the pump, which is super easy controllable - whether you need half of pump or one little drop - with this pump it is easy to control the amount of product you are trying to dispense.

The ingredients are beautiful and pure. Don't confuse it with proper oil as I did. I thought it will have the same consistency, but it is different. The serum is much thicker and even a bit stickier, but don't worry as you will not get that stickiness on your hair. I found that using 1-1,5 of a pump is enough, but the amount you use will depend on your own hair length and thickness. I use this serum after I wash my hair - I spread 1,5 of a pump in my hands and then apply to lowest 1/3 of my hair, really concentrating on the ends.

i used this serum five times and I can say that I already can see the results. My hair are shiny, manageable, easier to comb and my ends are more healthy looking. It also has a slight smell of Cinnamon, which I like.

I would recommend this product to anyone, who wants to have beautiful and healthy hair, however, you must remember that it will not fix your split ends. The only thing that will - a pair of scissors. This serum will help keep the hair healthy in between cuts. It also eliminates frizz and nourishes the hair, so it will be great if you have dry hair.

Let me know if you tried this product or anything similar.

Love

Lace

Nails Of The Month

Hi everyone! here is the quick look at my nail design this month. Don't know why, but it reminds me of wallpaper design for the nursery, which I visited recently. But overall I quite like it - fun and still colorful. Hope you like it. See you next month with another design.


Love


Lace