Safe and Clean Cosmetics.

When I recently came across an oppurtunity to write a beauty article on Safe and Clean cosmetics, I jumped at the chance. The main purpose of the article was to feature the use of make up and its benefits as well as safe and clean cosmetics. Take a read below for an in depth review of the topics asked. Be warned though, its a little long winded, you may need a coffee or two!

What are your thoughts about the benefits of make up?  How would you describe your attitude towards cosmetics, beauty products etc?

Like most women, I swear by make up and refuse to leave the house without it on. It is a fundamental part of my daily routine and I definately feel more confident with it on. I can safely say, its the probably the area where I spend the most amount of my money on, and sadly, shoes and clothes do not fascinate me as much.

On the contrary, I know several girls that refuse to wear even the slightest amount no matter what the occasion and yet they still appear to be confident and content. Perhaps it a pychological matter, whatever the reasons, it is definately an area that deserves some interest and debate.

I have always believed that there are several advantages to wearing make up and using cosmetic products, as well as very few disadvantages, however clearly. these can differ from person to person as well as several other factors.

There was once a time where make up consisted of just one shade of lipstick, a few strokes of mascara and talc powder. It was thick and heavy and often clogged pores. It was worn if women wanted to dress up and attend weddings and parties. Whilst this still remains the case today, there seems to be a whole new concept about when, how and why it is worn. The apllication of make up today comes as second nature to most including myself. It takes as little as five minutes in the morning to apply make up to create the desired look of the day, including natural barely there office look, to the smokey, Arabic inspired eyes for the evening, by just using minimal products.

What are the benefits? Well, I find there are several. Make up is fundamentally worn to cover minor skin conditions and blemishes, enhance appearances and facial features such as the plumping of lips or slimming down a nose using contouring techniques (if worn correctly) as well as making the wearer look and feel good and confident with the way they are presenting themselves to the world. And lets face it, when you look good, you feel good.

Today, most conventional make up contain vitamin A, C and E, sun filters,  minerals as well as anti allergic substances to meet the demands of women that are generallly concerned for their skin and health. Mineral make up is also the best solution for women that have senstive skin and those that suffer from acne. For instance, a friend of mine often suffers from adult acne and flare ups due to stress, after reccomending the Bare Minerals range to her, she finds less skin flare ups as well as no irration to her acne. She also reported that she finds it light and smooth on her skin and find  it does not clog up her pores like most products she has tried in the past.

The most recent advantage I have found with make up and its usage is the fact that more affordable professional drugstore brands such as MUA Professional cosmetics are now mimicking the more higher end brands in terms of their product lines, I suppose its a liitle like Primark Vs River Island. As a mother of two myself, I feel this is ideal for mums or those that are on a budget but still want to keep up to date with the latest key trends.

MUA sold online and at larger Superdrug Stores, has now  become one of my favourite affordable drugstore brands. The range includes, eye and face primers, their own range of make up brushes, make up trolleys, face mists as well as a large range of eye, lips, face and nail products all at quality affordable prices. Their best selling £4 Heaven and Earth eyeshadow pallette is often considered as a dupe for Urban Decays Naked pallette, (Retailed at £32), whilst the quality of both the products are not 100% identical, MUA’s pallette offer similar shades and results. A review of Heaven and Earth by MUA, written by myself,  can be found here. http://hinnahkhalifa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/mua-heaven-and-earth-pallete-review.html?m=1

I  suppose you could say, we really are spolit for choice. Today, there are so many cosmetic and make up products to choose from it can sometimes get a little overwhelming.

Whats more, with a multi billion pound industry and aggressive advertising by all the big names, I suppose the only disadvantage is not  knowing the right product for you and your skin type considering it is so easy to harm your skin just by unknowingly using the wrong product. It can also become a tedious endless cycle in trying to conceal and cure blemishes and flaws until the right product is found. Furthermore, keeping with with the latest make up and beauty trends and regularly purchasing products can also prove to be quite costly.

Do you think we know enough about the ingriedients in cosmetics?

 Unlike the ingriedients in food, I do not think there is a big emphasis on the ingriedients in cosmetics and it is not something that is often considered as much, even though they can come from a variety of sources, some are even unexpected. Sadly, I do not think there is even much demand or awareness for the ingriedients in many of the products we use in our day to day lives and if there is, it is from a very small percent of the population.

The truth is, there are many companies that are often reluctant to disclose any information about what their products contain, yet there definately need to be more of a demand for information on ingriedients so that many of the companies may start to provide us with it more frequently and upon request.

For example, how many people are actually aware of what parabens are and why we should avoid them? What exactly are they?

Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives and are found in a large variety of products such as shampoos, commercial moisterisers, toothpaste, gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants as well as additives in food. So that means that a a large percenatge of products we use on a day to day basis contains paraben and it is certainly difficult to find products that are paraben free. Their main purpose is to fight fungus and bacteria and cost little to manufacture. Unfortunately, nearly all of the parabens used as preservatives are man made and not natural occurents.

So why should they be avoided?

Now, before we get a little too carried away, upon carrying out a little research, I have come to realise that studies have been carried out in favour and against parabens and whether they are safe or not. The alarming piece of study carried out was that parabens have been potentially linked to cancer, this piece of information is obviously enough to make you want to avoid the use of paraben when and where possible as a precautionary route. Needless to say, the safety of the health and body must always be put first.  Furthermore, paraben has also been known to play a role in the development of breast cancer, since it mimics the estrogen hormone, according to some sources, researchers have been known to find paraben in breast tumors and have concluded there to be a relationship between parabens and tumors, another reason why it should be avoided at all costs.

I suppose the jury is still out on this one and whether parabens are dangerous or not i guess is up to the individual themselves but, if a link between chemicals and cancer is not enough for people to avoid paraben then i dont know what is. I have now started to find alternative products to the ones that contain paraben. All i know is that it is better to be safe than sorry.

How would you describe your attitude with choosing and buying cosmetics.

For the majority of my teenage years, I was often heavilly influenced by magazine and television advertising of the latest lotions and potions on the market. My cupboard was a make up junkie filled stash of all the latest creams, hair products, make up and so on and working part time in Superdrug Stores PLC with their frequent in store promotions didnt help matters!

In regards to make up and cosmetics, I often believed that the more you had, the better it was. Cheap make up didnt bother me, neither did cheap creams and hair products, seeing a cupboard full of the stuff made me happy and whilst my friends often spent on clothes and shoes, I splashed out on beauty items. I was like a little girl in a sweet shop.

However; this is not the case today. Today, being a little older and wiser,I have headed more towards the natural, organic products , even with food and find browsing around in a health food shop rather pleasant. It is definately more about quality than quantity and id much rather have fewer expensive quality natural products than a cupboard full of everything and anything.

I am definately more sceptical about what I use on my skin particularly after reading several horror stories in newspapers and magazines, cases with lanolin, paraben and coma horror stories with hair dye chemicals.This is exactly why an allergy test must always be carried out as per instructions.

I dont  think many realise the harmful effects of some of the ingriedients found, even something simple as passive smoking or using cleaning detergents in our day to day lives can have harmful effects on our skin. This of course can only be brought to our attention on closer inspection of our skins through mapping and analysing done by a skin specialist. The question is though, how many consumers are actually concerned? How many are willing to change their buying habits? Sadly, the answer is not many.

 I have come to realise that the heavilly perfumed face creams such as Chanel and Dior will in time do my skin more harm than good. Whats more, they are so heavilly perfumed that when applied near the skin of my eyes, it it irritates them that I no longer purchase them and instead, opt for the natural, alcohol and perfume free brands even though they may cost just a tiny bit more and take just a little more time to find.

What do you think? Do you think it is important to be aware? Do you think there are good products out there?

It is the right of us as consumers to be aware of and question any ingreidrients that are in our products.

The question is however, just how much are the companies willing to disclose to us, are they prepared to disclose anything at all? This is of course at their own discretion.

As a former Avon Rep, I still from time to time, purchase some of their catalougue items. In the past recent months, there appeared to be a big hype on Argan Oil and its benefits. Now, I wont bore you with all the details of Argan oil and all the good things it can do for your hair, but on purchasing a bottle of Avons Morrocan Argan Oil,  I came to realise that the product did not contain much Argan Oil, in fact it appeared 13^th on the list of ingriedients. Upon contacting Avon, they notified me that the product has been ‘sourced responsibly’. So what about the Berber women that form as part of the farm that harvests the oil? They each take some form of percentageto build back into their community now, if this was the case and the product did contain Argan oil  then why are the Berber women not driving around in prestigious cars or carrying designer handbags? Does it not make you wonder? Are Avon delibrately misleading their consumers so that the can cash in on all the current hype?

Yet, there are good and genuine  products out there but a little knowlegde and reserach before making a purchase wouldnt go amiss. Although, I am not much of a fan of their make up range, The Body Shop are and always have been passionately against animal testing in their cosmetics and they claim all their products are BUAV certified, complying with their Humane Cosmetics Standards so we can be assured, all their products are cruelty free. And another way to feel good is to do good according to them. Working alongside charities, campaigning on the defending of human rights, generating awareness of AIDS and HIV, protecting the planet and so on.

Upon my latest desire to use more natural and safe skin friendly products, I came across a UK based company called Rose Link. The main products they offer are a Hello Glow Whitening Plus Facial Polish which I recently sampled in return for a product review. Rose Link claim that the product is 100% natural, preservatives free and contain nothing but Rice powder, Coconut Milk powder, Honey powder, Milk powder and Potato starch.  And the results? Well it definitely does what it says on the tin, it instantly brightens and cleanses the skin, and my skin has never looked and felt better. This is just after 2 weeks of using the product and I will definitely be going back for more. And being 100% natural means that I know my skin is not being harmed.

In addition to this, as a Glossybox subscriber, I also came across a brand called Duck Island and their Mandarin and Bergamot range. Having never heard of it, I was eager to try it out and look into it further. It comprises of infused natures extracts. Duck Island is a luxury hand and body lotion range and is the first very few products I have discovered recently that is paraben and mineral oil free. Their packaging is also all recyclable.

What do you think?

There is definately more to beauty than just cosmetics and make up. I have always firmly believed that beauty starts from within and what you put in is what you get out, the more goodness we put into our body, the more our skin, hair, nails and general well being will reward us for it.

There is no doubt that the best thing for our skin, hair and nails is 6-8 glasses of water per day, (more if you exercise) plenty of fresh fruit and veg, exercise as well as adequate sleep. No amount of make up or cosmetics will provide similar results and vitality. Cosmetics are just enhancers that will produce quick and short term results but no real long term benefits. Of course, there are a large variety of products on the market for every beauty needs and wants, serums and creams to cure puffiness and dark circles, a wide range of products that claim to produce smooth glowing skins, treatments for thick and shiny hair, are these all just heavilly advertised in a bid to lure consumers in  and part with their cash? Does the use of imagery play a part with the insecurities and lack of self esteem in women?

What happened to natural homemade remedies? Chances are sufficient B vitamins, sillica and Zinc as well as Iron found in green leafy vegetables will prove to be more beneficial and gurantee the results desired, possibly at a much faster rate too. Of course, the real bonus would be to use these products alongside living a healthy lifestyle.

There is also often a misconception that hair, skin and nail supplements such as Perfectil will produce a full thick head of hair, a clear complexion and long britttle free nails, I suppose some would even find it a little misleading, however what they do not realise is that it only aids in maintaining it by providing vital nutrients that our diets may lack. It is definately not a substiutute for food and therefore is advised to be taken in conjuction with a balanced diet.

Similarly, with weight loss supplements such as Thermatrim, Raspberry Ketone etc, yes there has proven to be many sucess stories of weight loss in minimal time as possible, however do we really know the long time effects of using these? Have adequate research been carried out to see if our vital organs such as the liver and kidneys be affected with prolonged use.

Seeing as its the new year, I have set myself a small goal to be more knowlegable of the several alternatives available to my usual lotions and potions. Too add to this, I have found that pure green tea contain a much higher amount of antioxidants than my moisteriser and women of the Chinese and Japanese origin have been known to swear by it. The added bonus? It is not as foul tasting as I anticipated it to be but best of all, it is also aids in the digestion and burning of calories of food consumed, hence a good aid in weight loss and management with zero reported side effects and doesnt necesarilly cost the earth.

It is true what they say. True beauty stems from confidence, vitality and inner wellbeing.

December Glossybox Haul

After much hesitation, I finally decided to subscribe to Glossy-box monthly subscription especially after reading a lot of reviews (not all positive mind you!) on beauty blogs etc. Their December box looked good and I was especially happy to receive Kryolan for Glossybox blusher and a full sized Sleek lipstick in a gorgeous shade of red for my first ever Glossybox! It was perfect for the festive season, it was perfectly wrapped too. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed not to receive the Sleek Oh Special eye shadow palette like some subscribers had. Never mind though, I hope to have better luck next time. Take a look at my box below. I can't wait to see what's included in the January one!

Did you get your December box? What was included in yours? Xxx

NOTD- Avon Advanced Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil.

 
 

As a former Avon Rep, I still make time to have a wander through the brochures I often find lying outside my front door, not just because I am a very loyal person, but also because I believe that they do some fantastic products at unbelievable prices, even if they are a little bit behind the other beauty brands.
 
So, when I came across their Moroccan Argan Oil leave in treatment from their Advanced Techniques range, I had to squint real hard. Firstly, I have been trying to find something like this ever since the current craze for Moroccan Argan oil products came about, but mostly because it was so cheap!

Now, usually, I am not very sceptical about products being so cheap, in fact quite the opposite, but I just had to question this, even though I did eventually decide to purchase it particularly as it was selling for £5.50. Having done my research on Argan oil in the past, I knew it was relatively cheap to get hold of without costing the Earth, but somehow this appears to be a bit too cheap and I am wondering whether it is too good to be true?
 
I have always believed that the key to a woman's beauty is through her long, silky flowing hair, there is just something so enticing about it. I won't bore you with the details of all the wonderful things Argan oil can do for your hair but, I will tell you that it has taken the beauty world by storm in the last couple of months.  As keen as I am to try this however, I will not be holding my breath. Read on to find out why:
 
Now, I am assuming that as this is 'Moroccan Argan Oil' my initial impression was that all Argan Oil had to be brought via fair trade means. In regards to this, Avon claims that it has been 'sourced responsibly', yet the question still remains as to just exactly how much Argan oil this contains?
 
On closer inspection of the bottle and ingredients, it seems the 30ml bottle is full of nothing but silicone's with Argan Oil being right down the bottom of the list. (Appears 13th). I have nothing against Silicone's mind you, my hair seems to like it, but my argument here is that are Avon simply misleading their consumers just to simply capitalise on the Argan Oil hype? And if it was 'sourced responsibly' would Avon retail it at £5.50? Having said that though, I am pretty sure this will fly off their shelves...

Furthermore, what about the Berber women that form as part of the farm that harvests the oil? They each take some form of percentage to build back into their community so if so many of these products contain Argan Oil then does it not make you wonder why they are not walking around with designer handbags driving around in prestigious cars?

If Avon ARE deliberately misleading their consumers with the incorrect product description and the misconception that the 'Moroccan Argan Oil' in this will work wonders for their hair and by making sales on the basis that consumers believe a proportion of the profits will be returned to the women of Berber, then I despair.

If in doubt ladies, leave it out, I think I'd rather stick to the 'Real Mcoy' - Sorry Avon!

xxx

 

Taking a break- Hasta La Vista Baby!

There comes a point in life where you just need to switch off for a while and recharge your batteries and have some much needed 'me' time. We become so engrossed in our day to day routine of being a daughter, wife and mother that you almost forget your nearest and dearest around you and what is happening in their lives. Sadly, we sometimes take it all for granted yet, as I have matured, nothing matters more to me than family, health and happiness and it is only because of my family, I am who I am today.

The simpler things in life are the best and believe it or not, free. I cannot remember the last time I took a brisk walk outside, watched a really girly DVD or just simply sat down with a mug of my favourite latte and a really good book for a few hours.

Sadly, it is the world we live in, there just are not enough hours in the day to do everything you want to and by the time you've put the kids to bed, cleared away the dinner dishes and cleaned the entire kitchen, all you want to do is just crawl into your nice warm bed and sleep till the next morning.

I am a firm believer in 'life is what you make of it' so I have decided to take a bit of a break from blogging and using social media extensively and focus on the other commitments and family life I have and everything else in between.  No one could be more gutted about this than I am but, it is something I need to do at this moment in time.

In the meantime, as soon as I have accomplished a few things that I have wanted to do for a long time, (enrolling on a Sushi making class is one of them!) I'll be back, bigger and better!

Hasta La Vista dolls! :-)

xxx

 

Sigma Beauty- Like now on Facebook.

If you've done a bit of research on Sigma, you'll come to know that their brushes are the closest to MAC ones, only more affordable. Some have even been reported to be better believe it or not particularly the F80. Ill be working with Sigma a little closely and its page is now on Facebook! Like the page today and be the first to keep up to date with new products and promotions, have open discussions and share your thoughts on those all important brushes and make up. Reviews will be coming soon so keep your eyes peeled! :-)

Like the page here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HinnahkhalifaSigmabeauty


Shop now: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=285947


xxx

Toppik- "Add Hair To Your Hair"- Review.

I am so glad I have finally managed to knuckle down and write a review on Toppik especially as I have had it for more than a year now and I feel it is definitely worthy of a mention.

Hands up if in your teens you've experimented with all the hairstyles under the sun, tight buns and ponytails, continuous use of the 'brick style' hair straighteners that were out then and to make it worst, cheap shampoos, hairsprays and mousses? Guilty!

So when you get to post 25 and find that your once thick smooth crowning glory is not what it once seemed, you become panic stricken. I certainly did. I began to reach out for all the hair growth supplements, thickening sprays and shampoos that were on the market, mashed up eggs, avocado and bananas and put in my hair hoping that by the following morning, my hair would resemble Rapunzel's which of course it didn't. The final straw was when I chose to spend over £100 on Nourkrin Hair tablets after reading such great reviews on it and it did nothing for me after three whole tedious and expensive months, I decided to give up and live with the fact that my crowning area may never be thick and healthy again.

After all, it was nobodys fault but my own. Throughout my teen years, I neglected my hair simple as that. With each day came a different hairstyle, each of them tightly pulled at the scalp, lots of hair sprays and mousse, never using a heat defence spray with my cheap Nicky Clarke straightener as the emphasis on it then was quite so much then and sadly, I could go on.

So, one day whilst sitting with a cup of coffee reading the newspaper, I came across an advert for a product named Toppik, Hair Building Fibres, to you and me, its basically a coloured powder in a discreet moulded container that could be easily mistaken for a food sprinkle. Having read the great informative reviews and amazed by the pictures (I'm usually a sucker for things like this!) I decided to try out the £4.95 seven day free trial. And I was amazed at how it really did work!

So, how does it actually work? Well, this is what the guys at Toppik say, "Toppik is an amazing new complex of tiny, microfibre"hairs" that perfectly blend with your hair. Toppik fibres are made of the same organic Keratin protein as your own hair. Through a unique process, these fibres are restructured to merge undetectably with your hair. You will instantly see a fuller, more natural looking head of hair than you could ever imagine"



Unfortunately, I never took any pictures when I first used this, but heres one taken from the official website.

These come in an impressive nine colours ranging from black to grey and even white (I chose dark brown as it was closest to my hair colour) and are suitable for both men and women. The best part is that it is a completely safe and natural way to eliminate baldness and thinning hair with no reported side effects. You just simply shake it gently over your thinning areas and within approximately thirty seconds, several tiny coloured hair fibres will lock on to your own hair, gradually building density and greater coverage. You can then simply comb over it to do your usual hairstyle and it will not be affected by the use of hairspray etc. Yes, it is really as simple as that! In fact, the results were so astonishing that two female colleagues at work decided to purchase the full sized bottle and have never looked back.

What are the down sides? Well to be honest, I cant think of any, this product is actually so advanced , I haven't come across anything like it since I brought it. I wouldn't use it everyday as it may be a bit much but for weddings and parties especially where you ll be the main focus, its great. It is completely natural looking even from a close view and can simply be popped in your handbag for topping up during the day, although I found you don't really need to except of course when you wash your hair in which case, it can be simply reapplied.
This works best on small areas of the hair so it may not work well for you if you have several large areas of thining hair and bald patches.

Toppik will definitely be staying with me for as long as its available especially as it doesn't cost the Earth. (You all know just how much I love a bargain!) A travel sized version costs £6 and £19.95 for a regular size which I can guarantee you will last you a long time. If you re having similar problems with baldness and thinning patches, don't bother wasting your time and money on seeking other products as this is the one!

Toppik can be purchased here.http://www.hair123.co.uk/acatalog/toppik-Hair-Building-Fibres.html.

It can also be purchased on Amazon and EBay for a slightly lower price :)

xxx



Yummy Mummy- Beauty on a budget.

I have always vowed to be a 'yummy mummy', even before I had children. On becoming a mummy though, I realised that it is not always feasible to be 'yummy'! yet, like my wedding vows, I was determined to stick to this vow forever, yes even in 'Sickness and in Health'



So, you have a beautiful baby to look after, your body aches and the sudden realisation hits you, you can no longer spend time on them luxury salon facials and blow dries let alone a leisurely soak in your own bathtub at home. Besides, in between doctors appointments, health clinic visits, grocery shopping and play groups, how on earth do you find the time?



To make it worst, on one particular morning, you've barely slept, you have puffy eyes to confirm it, you have a screaming baby, still need to shower, coffee's gone cold, make up the baby bag and oh the postman's at the door with the package you ordered last week which of course you've completely forgotten about. Hubby dearest has already left for work and you are trying your absolute hardest to hold back the tears. AND, you need to be out of the house in the next 45 minutes for that baby clinic at the doctors.



You look a state, but of course still rush to answer the door when the postman sympathetically says "Bad morning love?" Surely, you don't look as bad as you feel you mutter to yourself. On top of it, you've probably given the poor man a fright first thing in the morning.



The point I'm trying to make here though is that it of course doesn't have to be like this. "Look good, feel good" has always been my many mottos in life and you'd be surprised at just how true the saying is. It is very easy to let yourself go once you've had a baby and I am aware that staying groomed may not be on the top of every ones priority list, but, I reckon, it definitely should be on the list.



I’ve unfortunately come across several women that are constantly fed up. They frantically push their little babies and toddlers around in pushchairs sporting a greasy head of hair, sweatpants, flip flops (even in the middle of winter!) poor eyebrows that haven’t seen a pair of tweezers in a while, blotchy skin and I could go on and on. The fact is, it is these very women that suddenly lack confidence, refuse to socialise and become frustrated and depressed. Their mental well being takes a toll but sadly, there shouldn’t be an excuse for it, I mean the baby does at some point decide to sleep surely? Chances are, your child will be too embarrassed for you to drop them to school or ask to have friends around for tea.

For those of you that have been in employment, you’ll come to realise that multi tasking, time management and organisational skills are just as crucial in motherhood as they are in the employment world.



Budget beauty has now begun to appeal to me more than ever before and I’m all for it, besides, groceries, nappies, milk, wipes and the rest hardly come cheap and so, that much desired tub of £30 Clarins moisturiser can be forgotten about for the time being.

Thankfully, many supermarkets have now started to stock a wide range of beauty products both branded and their own brand which definitely comes in handy when doing your weekly shop and they often have many products on promotion. Surely, we deserve that on top of the two magazines we've brought, the tub of Ben and Jerry’s and the bar of Galaxy for all the hard work and running around we do! Feels like being on constant runs of Duracell batteries at times!



If you’re a yummy mummy, on the go, in an endless cycle of washing the dishes, putting the washing on, making the dinner, changing nappies, feeding, bathing and forever cleaning up after your baby, you may find the list of budget beauty items I have compiled below of some use. The point is that they are affordable and time effective and have been carefully selected to suit the needs of all mums alike:

These foam hair dyes are a godsend! When your roots need doing and bubbas fast asleep, whip this on, leave on for the recommended time (most are 20 minutes), make yourself a cuppa and voila! The best thing is that the majority of those do not contain ammonia and are non drip so you are less likely to get it everywhere. There you have it, salon results at home in 20 minutes. Available in a wide range of colours and other brands such as L’Oreal, Garnier and Clairol. Always read the instructions and do a strand test prior to using.



Save: Superdrug Colour Radiance 10 at £4.99.

Let’s face it, you are not going to get the time or energy to have your 5 a day religiously, give your tresses a two hour conditioning treatment or give yourself a manicure soaking your nails in a nice bowl of hot olive oil. Now, I wouldn’t normally recommend a food supplement as there is really no substitute for a healthy balanced diet. Unfortunately due to the stresses of being a new mum, it’s likely that your skin will become dry, your nails will become brittle and your hair would have dulled. I have actually used this once in the past and I was impressed. Yes, it does take time to actually see a real difference and counter the loss of 'mummy glow'. It may be that you do eat healthily and drink plenty of water, but sometimes our skin just needs that extra boost.




Perfectil is a notional supplement for hair, skin and nails containing 22 nutrients designed to give you glossy hair, a clear complexion and strong nails. It provides antioxidant carotenoids to protect skin tissues; plant extracts such as grape seed extract for a healthy complexion and vitamins and minerals for blood circulation and tissue formation. Best taken with your main meal.




Save: Superdrug Hair, skin and nails tablets at £4.99.

So, you're on the go and need a little something to give your skin that oomph, a moisturiser with a hint of a tint to give your skin that glowy dewy look or as Garnier says, " A Miracle Skin Perfecter" I have tried a sample sachet of this and loved how it felt on my skin. Bear in mind though, they didn't intend to make this product for heavy coverage so don't expect it to hide all your angry spots or blemishes. I wouldn't really suggest this if you are prone to oily skin either. This product would definitely be perfect for Summer, its light and smells lovely and gives your skin a gorgeous sheen and glow. Best of all though, it contains SPF 15, mineral pigments and vitamin C.



Save: Make up Academy BB cream at £4.00.

This has got to be the best thing since sliced bread. In fact, I love it so much, I have one tube on my dressing table and another in my handbag, its permanent home.
This is in fact a skin protectant with an orange balm like consistency. It can be used for everything from minor skin irritations, chapped lips, excessively dry lips, sunburns, windburns according to what it says on the tube itself and its extremely effective too.

People are always wondering what a good product to help heal dry/chapped lips, well this is it! I should mention though that this does tend to get a little sticky at times and the smell may be overpowering for some, however they do now have a fragrance free version.


My hands have been especially bad recently due to housework and frequently washing my hands after washing up and changing nappies. The 8 hour cream has been amazing for soothing them, especially when used overnight.


I’ve had mine for a year now and still have a bit left despite constantly reaching out for it, so a little does go a long way. I also use this as eyebrow gel, cuticle cream, lip-gloss, lipstick primer and if I ever get a cut, scab or a minor burn I put some Eight hour cream on top and seal it with a cute little plaster tape!



Save: Vaseline pocket size Petroleum Jelly. (99p)

This product is so good it definitely deserves a second post. (See http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6907305758898179911#editor/target=post;postID=4541753161949024946).



This is definitely one product I tend to reach for on a regular basis and it’s a lifesaver. Truthfully, being a new mum means you probably won’t be able to wash your hair as often as you'd like or sometimes you're so exhausted you cannot be bothered to do the whole shampoo and conditioning hog even though your hair is screaming out for it. But, no one wants to walk around with a smelly, greasy mop of hair. Not only has this now become an essential but it is also one of my favourite beauty products.



Batiste Dry Shampoo refreshes hair between washes and removes grease to give hair more body and volume. It needs to be applied like a hairspray, sprayed from a 30cm distance for best results. I am currently using the 'Blush' version as I find it smells fresh and floral and it’s pink! The scent shouldn't really matter though as your hair doesn't really hold it in once it’s been applied. This will not let you down!



Save: Superdrug Dry Shampoo Away With The Fairies 150ML.


What are some of your essentials for budget beauty on the go?

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