EGYPTIAN MAGIC CREAM | REVIEW

As someone on a budget and also someone who prides themselves on organisation I LOVE anything that has more than one use. I am a lover of anything that is efficient and can help save space and also money.

This product has some pretty bold claims, first off it's called 'MAGIC' cream, so it does have a lot to live up to. 

Here's a little information about this cream and the brand before I give you my opinions.

Background

This cream has been on the market since 1991, it has a built a solid reputation over the years and their mission has been to continually provide a professional skin care product, that offers multiple purposes whilst being made from 100% natural ingredients. 

This cream is said to have healing properties which is attributed to the natural ingredients which include Honey, Olive Oil, Bees Wax, Bee Pollen, Bee Propolis, Royal Jelly and Divine Love.

It doesn't contain any additives, added preservatives, parabens or GMO ingredients, it is also not tested on animals. 

Because of natural yet effective formula it has increased popularity and has grown by word of mouth to be one of the most popular and widely endorsed skin creams in the world. It has become a beauty favourite among celebrities such as Madonna, Gisele Bündchen, Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, and loads more. 

Uses

There is a very comprehensive list of 20 fantastic uses for this cream, this can be found here - http://egyptianmagic.com/best-uses/

The uses that are most relevant to me are as follows:

• Moisturiser
• For burns, cuts and scrapes
• Fading scars
• Eczema 
• Conditioner
• Lip Balm
• Aftershave
• Makeup remover
• Hand and cuticle cream
• Makeup Primer
• Face mask
• Cracked heels and elbows

My thoughts 

I wanted to use this for as many things as possible before posting up my final review, however there are just so many uses that it would mean a great delay in providing you with my opinions, 

This is a really thick oil based cream, I have been using a small plastic spatula to get this out, I just scrape a little bit out and then rub it between my fingers which melts this into a rich, thick cream. 

So far I have used this as a general body moisturiser and on my elbows, it wasn't long before I noticed an improvement there.

As a lip balm this is very oily and doesn't have any added scents or flavours so it is a very basic lip balm. It's great for deep conditioning and leaves lips kissably soft, the pot would last me for years if I was to just use it for this one purpose.

I've tried this on scars, so far it has made the skin in those areas feel very soft and more supple, however as they are quite old I am not expecting miracles in terms of them fading. However it has certainly made them feel a little softer and flatter. 

One use I have tried which isn't listed above was to tame my eyebrows, usually I use a brow gel, but this worked a treat, I filled them in and then popped a little of this cream on a spoolie and worked this through to tidy them up. 

All in all I can agree that this cream is very multi use and I have it on standby for any skin emergencies in the future. What's great is it's suitable for sensitive and delicate skin so it's ideal,

Have you tried this amazing cream? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cookie x

*PR Sample

Di Blasi Italian Cosmetics - Review

I recently contacted an Italian company called Di Blasi Cosmetics

Company founder Tatiana Puglisi very kindly responded to me and has let me test their products as shown below.

The company has 3 products which they have perfected, these are Multitasking Butter Makeup Remover, Prickly Pear and Manna Cream and their Handmade Olive Oil Soap with Etna Lava Stone

Each of the products contain beautiful natural ingredients from Sicily.

Here's my thoughts on each of the products

Multitasking Butter Makeup Remover £35

This is a thick oil based makeup remover, think of petroleum jelly but thicker again. I really wasn't sure how this would work as an eye makeup remover but it worked a treat. I found this was more useful as product to remove the eye makeup that your usual remover can't, I rub a cotton bud in a little of this and gently go along my eyelashes and this does a fantastic job of collecting the eye makeup that would usually be hard to remove.

In addition this isn't just an eye makeup remover, it can be used as a general moisturiser and is really good for dry patches of skin, it can be used to soothe sun burn too!

This has a really mild scent, but I think I may have detected some lemon?

Prickly Pear and Manna Cream £32.70

This is a wonderfully thick cream, I burnt a little bit on holiday and my arms and legs have been peeling, this is quite a heavy moisturiser which has been really good on my flaking skin. It feels deeply nourishing and it smells lovely, I was particularly interested in finding out more information about the Sicilian ingredient manna that is used in this product.

Manna is a sugary sap that is derived from the trunks of the Ash tree (Fraxinus Ornus). Tatiana kindly gave me a little more information on this wonderful ingredient, more information can be found here.

Handmade Olive Oil Soap with Etna Lava Stone £7

I usually favour shower gel and haven't bought a bar of soap in at least 10 years, I have to say that I think this could be the exception.

This creates a super luxurious lather with very little effort. Once lathered on it is velvety smooth and gives a fabulously deep clean. It has a really pleasant smell, I believe it's scented with Broom.

It also contains Etna Lava rock from Sicily and this gives a really great exfoliant feel.

Overall Comments

Overall I am really impressed with all of the products that I received to try from this company and I would recommend trying them for yourself.

They would make a lovely gift for Christmas or birthdays, they are very natural and made with your health and well being in mind. There are no harsh chemicals or preservatives.


More product information can be found at their website:

https://www.diblasicosmetics.com/

Cookie x

Korres Lip Care Products - Review

My last Korres review was about shower gels and body milks and as promised here is the next instalment, this time lip care products.

I was very lucky to be sent these 2 gorgeous lip care products which are both fantastic in different ways.

Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick with SPF 15, £8 for 15ml -can be purchased here

This is a great lip balm type product, it's super important to wear SPF factor all year round because although there isn't a great deal of sun you are still exposed to potentially harmful amounts of UV rays each day.

I am quite addicted and have got almost halfway through the stick in a short space of time. This makes my lips feel really moisturised and conditioned, I think this is down to the shea butter, sunflower wax and mandarin oil that are key ingredients in this item.

I'm not a fan of anything orange scented, so when I saw this was mandarin I wasn't sure what I'd think, however it smells really lovely and not like the synthetic orange scent that I am not fond of.

The only  drawback I would say here is that although the stick appears to be a lovely rich colour it is pretty much colourless when it's applied to my lips, perhaps the other colours are more pigmented, I am unsure, however this wont discourage me from using this product because the benefits outweigh that little detail for me.

Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter £8 for 6g - this can be purchased here

One of the active ingredients is pomegranate extract which contains vitamins A, C and E giving it antioxidant properties.

This pomegranate lip butter was an ideal addition to my handbag. It's essentially a lip gloss in a pot, the colour is really lovely and it's not sticky like your standard lip glosses. It smells really pleasant and feels great, I do reapply this one quite a bit as the colour doesn't last for ages but with little top ups here and there throughout the day its great. Its opaque and leaves your lips looking juicy with a great shine.

I hope you liked my review, I would definitely recommend this brand for great natural products which use fantastic ingredients and all seem to have some antioxidant and or other positive properties.

Please join me next Monday @ 12:00 UK time for my final  Korres review.

Cookie x

REN Light Medium BB Cream - Review

A little while ago my mum gave me this product to try.

As someone who isn't normally a fan of foundation and makeup,  however I am 100% converted to BB creams, assuming that others are as good as this one. This is so far the only BB cream I have tried and I think its amazing.

When you squirt this out of the bottle it is quite dark orange and my instant thoughts are that I'm going to end up looking like Donatella Versace, however although it comes out dark, it's a totally different colour on my skin. It is so clever, it would seem that it adjusts to match my skin tone somehow. I suppose it's just a diluted version of a foundation? whatever the formulation one thing I'm sure of is that it works for me.

The coverage is great, it looks really smooth and natural and isn't like a mask sitting on top of my skin.

Another positive is that it's light, like a moisturiser, it allows my skin to breathe.

The price tag is £28 for 50ml, which seems fairly expensive, however this product does go a long way and for the final result it's definitely worth it.

I would really love to try some more products from this company.

What have you tried? please share your experiences below, maybe you have tried a different REN product? or maybe a BB cream from another brand? Whatever it is I would love to hear from you.

Cookie x

Chantecaille Detox Clay Mask - Review

Hi Everyone,

A little while back Space.NK.Apothecary provided me with some samples, one of which was this Chantecaille Detox Clay Mask.

I thought I must share this review with you as this product really stood out. I am always seeking products, especially treats for my skin as I like to care for it as best I can.


This is a really luxurious and hydrating clay mask. It smelled lovely and felt wonderful on my skin, it left my skin feeling incredibly soft and cared for and was instantly a favourite beauty treatment.

The mask can be purchased here and it costs £70 for 50ml, so I may have to add this to my Christmas list as at this price it's definitely not a practical everyday purchase.

I really loved spending 10-15 minutes chilling out with this mask on, it dried fairly hard and I then washed it off in a warm shower to reveal super silky soft cheeks and all!

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a really nourishing little boost for their skin.

Cookie x

Salcura DermaSun and BioSkin - Review

In preparation for my holiday I was kindly send some products to review from the Salcura DermaSun and BioSkin range. Firstly, I'd like to say a big thank you to Chloe for your help pairing products with my skin type and situation.

 

I didn't intend to get burnt on my holiday  (who does?) and to be perfectly honest I was hoping not to suffer any skin irritation, but alas, it seems that these issues are part and parcel with hot countries.

We went to Lanzarote and the temperature was in the high twenties, it was very humid so it often felt hotter. 

Despite covering myself liberally with factor 50 several times a day I did manage to get burnt, mainly whilst on excursions. My legs and feet burnt whilst floating in a rubber ring and also quad biking, my arms got their turn whist kayaking and snorkeling. 

My skin was irritated too, itchy either from the UV exposure or from the SPF in the sunscreen. In addition the mosquitoes made a meal of me so I am covered in hard lumps.

So, did these products help me? The answer to this is YES, the 2 sprays were fairly similar and they both worked at soothing my burns and irritations. 

The spray eliminates the need to rub in which was really convenient and easy to apply. The spray for irritation also aided with my insect bites and helped to calm the affected areas down.

The BioSkin Zeoderm was really a savior and stopped my burned skin from peeling, it kept me moisturised without feeling greasy and absorbed into my skin perfectly well. 

As these were taken on holiday I decanted them into smaller bottles (50ml). The sprays are £16.99 for 100ml and can be purchased here.

As for  the BioSkin Zeoderm cream, this can be purchased here and is available in 2 sizes, £9.99 for 50ml which is perfect for travel and £19.99 for 150ml.

These items were absolute lifesavers whilst on holiday, I just wish I had brought the full size sprays as I got through all of what I brought with me and I will definitely be bringing these along with me the next time I go somewhere hot!

Cookie x

AnnMarie Skin Care - Review

I got in touch with a lovely lady called Lisa from AnnMarie Skincare and she very kindly let me try their products.

When the envelope arrived the first thing I noticed was the sensational natural scent that was coming from the it - just beautiful!

Here's what the kit I received contains, this retails at $20 and can be purchased here

Repair Serum
A lovely nourishing oil that didn't leave my skin too greasy and luckily didn't cause any blemishes. It just left my skin feeling cared for.

Herbal Facial Oil for normal and combination skin
This oil was nice and light which is important to avoid outbreaks. It absorbed into my skin very well and felt good throughout the day.

Neroli Toning Mist
This is a really refreshing mist. It can be used to make you feel cool and refreshed, it can also be used at the end of your skincare routine and will help boost the benefit of your skin serum helping it soak deeper into your skin. This product also smells wonderful.

Coconut Body Oil
I love coconut, so of course this product really appeals to me. When I first received it the oil was solid and I couldn't get it out of the bottle (must have been cold in the porch) and after an hour in my warm kitchen this was a nice thick oil that was easy to apply and felt beautiful on my skin!

Aloe Herb Cleanser
This was lovely and cooling on my skin, a little went a long way.  It did a great job of removing impurities.  The product smelt very pleasant,  almost citrus-y but very subtle.

Ayurvedic Facial Scrub
This comes in powder form, to which you add some cleanser or alternatively water. It smells similar to henna and again this made my skin feel nourished, however a slight scent did remain on my skin for some time.

Purifying Mud Mask
This mask also comes in powder form, you add water. It's a great idea, especially when your travelling and there are restrictions on liquids and pastes.

Dead Sea Facial Scrub
This is a very fine scrub which you massage into your skin in a circular motion. After applying a thin layer you leave this on for 15-30 minutes for it to get to work. This made my skin feel truly polished and left a lovely natural glow. The website offers the following useful advice 'exfoliating is most effective in the mornings, as the most cell turnover happens while sleeping.'

Picture from http://www.annmariegianni.com

What I really loved about these products is that they are completely natural, containing no chemicals, parabens or preservatives like a lot of cosmetics on the market. They smell beautiful and as nature intended they are not harsh or synthetic scents.

A really lovely and extensive product range with something for all skin types, I would definitely recommend these wonderful natural products. This is such a great little kit and would be perfect to take on holiday or for travelling.



 

A sample kit can be purchased here http://www.annmariegianni.com/samplekit/

For more information on the sample kits see Ann Marie's youtube video https://youtu.be/eV9lThR3Qwo

Cookie x

Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum - Review

Image from Amazon.co.uk

I have been using this Hyaluronic Acid serum for almost a week now and I must say that my skin feels amazing.

To be perfectly honest my skin is fairly young, I am 27, and I have taken care of my skin. I thought that my skin was already quite soft until this came along and now it’s even more so, which I didn’t think was possible.

I have a lot of freckles and I have been trying to use a cream which helps to fade freckles and also contains an SPF, something within that cream was upsetting my skin and making it prone to itchy and dry patches.

Since using this product as a base it feels like the other cream is being absorbed better into my skin rather than just sitting on the surface.

This is great because it’s allowing me to use a cream that I would otherwise stay well away from.

I’m really happy with this product and will definitely be a returning customer.

The serum is very viscous and easy to apply, it gives a great deal of hydration however it’s not greasy. It really is the perfect consistency and is a terrific beauty buy!

This item is available to purchase on Amazon, click HERE - Currently on sale for £19.50 for 30ml (usually £39.99)

Cookie x

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Freebies from 19/07/2015 - 25/07/2015

Here are the freebies that I received last week.

 

 

1. Samples from EVE LOM, I have seen this on a few youtube videos. I just emailed the company asking if they have any samples - contact them here

 

2. Dr Organic samples, again this is on many videos at the moment and this was another company I emailed asking to try - contact them here

 

3. Faith in nature, check out their website. Like Dr Organic they have a huge selection of wonderful sounding scents and flavours. - contact them here

 

4. Sunsense sun cream samples - contact them here. I got this idea from Ambers blog

 

5. Oz Naturals - I was able to try this for free using www.brandbacker.com all I need to do is to give an honest and unbiased review. Watch this space for my review.

 

6. Treat pouch from http://www.thedogtreatcompany.co.uk/ - I was lucky enough to get these free of charge to try on my pooches. for this I sent a message on facebook https://www.facebook.com/thedogtreatcompany

I will be doing a review on this product so again please watch this space.

 

7. Upbeat coupons - I emailed asking to try in exchange for a review, they sent me £2 off in coupons and a further 2 £1.79 coupons which should each cover the cost of a bottle. I went to Tesco on Sunday to purchase these and they were running low, only 4 bottles left and they were all strawberry flavour, I am going to check again this week for another flavour. contact them here customercare@feelingupbeat.com     

 

8. CIF Express floor cleaner - This was £1 in Tesco and I had a £1 coupon from www.mymail.com

 

I did a freebie video for most of these items - here is my VIDEO

 

A couple more items I received that I forgot to photograph but have been included in my subsequent videos are

 

1. X3 bags of Jacobs Cracker crisps (Sweet Chili, Sour Cream & Onion and Salt & Vinegar), not technically my freebie, it was my boyfriends www.bzzagent.co.uk campaign, but he has to share :-)

 

2. A purrfect box from https://purrfect-box.co.uk/concept/try this came with a selection of cat toys and treats and I only had to pay £2.90 postage- details of the contents can be found at the end of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBMUU8W9HVA and the rest of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw1wLM33_zg

 

3. Samples from Sothys, saw this on many blogs and videos - sothys@sothys-uk.co.uk.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Cookie x

Oz Naturals Ocean Mineral Facial Cleanser - Review

This product retails at £16.53 for 118ml (quite expensive compared to Clinique's £16 for 200ml facial wash).

I received this product through brand backer from Oz Naturals and it is the 2nd item that they kindly sent me to try. All they ask in exchange is for an honest review on Amazon, heres my Amazon review

Whilst this product made my skin feel nice there are other products that also do that for less money, another thing which puts me off slightly is that I can't purchase this item in a local shop (to my knowledge) and my postman can be quite heavy handed with things, usually meaning anything packaged gets squashed. I also like the experience of going into a shop where I can, and another bonus with Clinique is that they run gift campaigns where you receive free products when you buy items, I tend to wait until these offers are on before purchasing. Another bonus with buying from boots of course is advantage card points, of which over the years I have racked up £100's!

The cleanser made my skin feel clean and cared for, so wasn't harsh or drying, however the 1st time I used it I got a shock as it really stung my eyes. The 2nd time I was wise to this and made a conscious effort to avoid my eyes. I think because the product is so thin it very easily gets past your eyelids.

If I had to give this product grading I would say 7/10 as it is a good product, but for what it is the price is fairly steep and as above there are many similar ranking products that are cheaper.

As always please comment, follow and share my blog.

Thanks for reading

Cookie x

Pure Potions Review

 

So a couple of weeks of gone by and I have had a chance to test drive the products that the lovely people at Pure Potions kindly gave me to test and review.

 

1. 50ml Skin Salvation Intensive Hand Cream - £10.99 for 50ml

 

This is a perfect, deep moisturising hand cream. I use it in addition to my usual hand cream as my usual hand cream is lighter and this is slightly heavy and more oily- it gives a nice protective barrier. However I tend to use this either first thing or last thing at night to really feel the benefit. I tend to use the lighter cream in the day time to save covering my key board in it and making all the doorknobs greasy (I do apply A LOT of hand cream throughout the average day.)

 

2. Skin Salvation Daily Moisturiser £13.99 for 100ml

Pure Potions have arrived!

Recently I wrote to Pure Potions to ask if I could try some of their products to include on my blog as a review feature and they very kindly agreed. I heard back from a really helpful person, thanks Jess for your positive response and thank you to Pure Potions on the whole for investing in me and providing me with some products from the dry skin range to try and review.

These products are hand made using 100% natural ingredients (no harmful chemicals), they are suitable for people of all ages and can be used almost anywhere on your body, they are suitable for those with eczema, dermatitis and dry sensitive skin. Interestingly these products are also suitable for use on pets to combat dry patches, etc. For more information about Pure Potions products see here

 

 

The products that I have kindly been given to try are:

 

1. 50ml Skin Salvation Intensive Hand Cream - £10.99 for 50ml

 

This is described as an intensive natural hand cream for daily nourishment and maintenance of hands. Hands come into contact with a number of allergens and irritants every day, which can leave them dry, sore and cracked. Once the barrier is broken down on the skin of the hands further irritants can get in easily and the problem worsens. To combat this, it is vital to find a product that gently protects the hands whilst feeding nutrients into the skin for healthy regeneration.

My skincare routine

I am looking to try some new skin products, so I thought I'd go through my current regime and what I'm looking for in skincare products.

 

My skin is fair, very freckly and I would say it's dry to combination (combination around the T zone)

 

I'm 27, so I don't need a really thick moisturiser or major anti wrinkle treatments but I do need to take care of my skin.

 

Since I was 16 I have used Clinique's 3 step products (I did swap to Simple products for a while when I was a student and couldn't afford Clinique.) I am happy with what I use, but if there's something better out there I would like to know.

 

I start my day wish a face wash using the liquid facial soap mild, it's £16 for 200ml so not cheap but not the most expensive I've encountered either. (Simple's face wash retails at £3.49 for 150ml just to put Clinique's pricing into perspective). This product is not scented, it gives a good lather and a very squeaky clean finish.

I do also from time to time use the bar soap, this is great for travelling, again its unscented and you get an excellent clean fresh feeling from this too, this feels a little more stringent that the liquid soap and can make your skin feel a little tight. It's priced at £15 for 150g, which I'm sure you will agree is expensive for a soap bar.

 

The formula of this No 2 clarifying lotion changed a couple of years ago I believe, I remember it smelling different and taking me a little while to get used to again. Sometimes I use this after taking my makeup off and low and behold there's more makeup. This gives my skin a nice fresh feeling and then I'm ready to add some moisture. when I first started university I ran out of this and couldn't afford a new bottle and I really struggled to feel human not having this product to use. £26 for 400ml (Simple's facial toner is £3.29 for 200ml), the price has gone up since I first started using this product, what I will say is that the bottle is large and the amount you need to use is small so a bottle lasts me around 6-8 months.

  

 

Finally, at current I am using the dramatically different moisturiser. It's £29 for 125ml (Simple's daily moisturiser is £4.50 for 125ml). This is a nice light moisturiser and I tend to use a thin layer of this in the warmer months of the year. It's also unscented and gentle to my skin.

 

During the winter months I like to use Clarins HydraQuench Cream, this is a nice thick cream and perfect for the colder months. I find that the wind and cold weather really takes its toll on my skin so I try extra hard to look after it with this. This is £35 for 50ml so is definitely an investment item. Perhaps this is why I only use it during the winter..

 

I am really looking forward to trying the products that www.purepotions.co.uk has kindly offered to send me to try and review.

 

Another thing I am hoping to post soon is a listing of upcoming items that I will complete reviews for. The other thing that I am planning on posting is 10 products that I cant live without.

 

Cookie x

 

Free trials and samples

Over the past couple of weeks I have been wracking my brains thinking of any ideas to save some pennies, whether its on my electric bill or everyday items.

I noticed that growing numbers of websites are listing free product samples - I found these by typing freebies UK into google. I started applying for a few random bits and pieces last week to see if I would receive anything, and to my surprise the first item arrived today. Okay, so its only a small sachet of Sylk natural lubricant. This offer still stands and a sample can be requested on their website http://www.sylk.co.uk/request-free-sample/ you just need to complete a few details. I have heard that some things will charge postage and will ask for card details, to be honest I don't think any of the freebies would really be worth parting with such details and personally that's not something that I will be doing.

In addition to the standard freebies I have noticed a lot of videos on YouTube where people are writing to all sorts of companies asking for things. I agree try before you buy is a great thing, however I will probably be writing to companies who offer products that I actually want to try, for instance I don't have a baby so I wont be emailing or applying for free baby products etc.

I would like to keep things as fair as possible for companies, so I will be giving product reviews on here on the occasion that a company is kind enough to provide me with a sample of their product. If I can pull this off I think it will b a great tool as I am something of a product junkie, I like new things, I like things in shiny new boxes etc. For instance I am always buying different fruit teas, a lot of the time based on the packaging or the flavour and more often that not I'll have 1 or 2 and decide its not for me, then I have 2 thirds of a pack of tea sitting in my cupboard until it expires and that's money down the drain.

So, again I have had my first response to this back today. as of yesterday I had emailed 15 companies with queries and out of those I have had 4 positive responses and 4 apologies. Its a case of don't ask don't get.

The first samples I got were facial skincare products from Elizabeth's Daughter, I am looking forward to trying them, watch this space for a product review.

I am also looking forward to the post over the next week as I should hopefully have a few goodies to try.

Thanks for reading guys

Again as I'm new to saving and scrimping if anyone has any advice, comments or general feedback I'd love to hear from you.

Cookie x