111 Skin Gold Treatment Mask

Howdy,

I received this mask in my Glossy box and have been really excited to use it. Sheet masks are still one of my favourite masks to use, no mess and all you need is a clean washed face. They recommend this mask to be used straight from the fridge. It has a light perfumed scent, it isn't overpowering or enough to put me off. It is packed with so much moisture, the mask feels like gel and is very slippery. I recommend putting it on and tipping your head back, then sitting or lying down least for the first 5 minutes as it will slide off. I tried to make sure I placed it on correctly and evenly, by doing this I ripped it a little so be very careful. Still it has not altered how the mask is sitting on my face, I feel I still have good coverage.

After the first 10 minutes my face still felt very cold, I made sure the mask is still fully covering my face and no edges have come away like they can do with these over sized masks.
According to the people at 111Skin, when you take off the mask and you find the mask is dry anywhere then it means that part of your face is dehydrated and you should work on adding more moisture to that area.

I ended up leaving it for about 25mins and once off massaged in the rest of the moisture left on my face. I luckily didn't have any dry patches on the mask, so my face must be doing ok for hydration. I never applied anything else to my face, not even a night time moisturiser. My skin appeared glowing and very bright.

The next morning my skin was still very hydrated and I had no bad reactions to the mask. I don't think it worked any miracles but it did leave my skin bright, hydrated and refreshed.

My ratings: 8/10

Recommend/ worth the money: Yes but only if you are happy to pay the £85 for a pack of 5, it makes each mask £17 which is expensive. I do not feel they are worth £17.

Pros: For a special occasion where you want glowing hydrated skin these would be perfect. The mask is extremely hydrating and brightening, I think applying make up after this would look fantastic. Straight out the fridge this mask feels amazing, it is cooling and calming to the skin.

Cons: The price and you have to be really careful with the mask. It is made of very delicate material.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx

How to Clean Cashmere and Wool

Howdy,

I LOVE cashmere, it is just so soft and warm and I think it looks pretty good too. With cashmere as well as wool you can't just chuck it in the washing machine like you do with most other clothing pieces. They do take looking after, but I don't mind that. If it is going to extend the life of my clothing pieces then I am all for that.

This is what I use and I will tell you how I wash my Cashmere and Wool pieces. This washing liquid can used as a hand washing solution or in the washing machine. For cashmere I only hand wash and some wool I might machine wash on a cool very gentle cycle, with the item inside out and in a net bag for protection.

I use a cup full of this washing liquid in my bath tub because the tub is clean and big enough to let the clothes spread out. It is upstairs where I can easily get to the room I dry my clothes in, when I can't dry them outside.

The water needs to be luke warm, I would suggest having the water too cool rather than too warm because cashmere does not react well in warm water. Once you have given it a gentle but good clean, I squeeze the material to take some of the water out. Then refill the tub with clean water, warm again, just a couple of inches high is all you need. Just enough to make sure the top can be submerged. Once all detergent is removed I squeeze gently the material, never wring and twist, this with stretch the material and leave it misshapen.

Squeeze until the top isn't dripping. The next stage is to lay it down on a large towel. This is the time you want to try create its natural shape as it is going to dry like this. I fold half of the towel back over the top and press. Just press all over to help soak up the moisture of from the Cashmere.

I then roll the the towel to help again soak up the moisture in the top, by doing this it will not stretch it and it won't become misshapen. I never wring out or rub this material even at this stage as it would just lead to bobbling and start to ruin the soft feel of the cashmere.

Once the top is almost dry (the next day, depending when you washed it) I hang it on my drying rack to air out.

Apart from needing an iron here is the top at the end. As you can see by the close-up, the cashmere looks great, no bobbling and the colour has not faded. I know this is not a quick thing to do but it is totally worth it to prolong the life of your clothing.





Hope this helps anyone thinking of investing in Cashmere or wool.  The washing liquid I used is from Waitrose and costs £3, there any many out there to choose from. I picked this one up as the reviews were very good and if you were wondering the scent is very faint.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

Battle of the Cleansers

Howdy,

At the beginning of the year I posted up a picture on my instagram about 3 cleansers I wanted to put to the test and see how well they worked. Now I have had almost two months to test them out and give them a good go. Just for reference,  I have combination skin that is occasionally oily. Here are the cleansers that are suitable to be used on my skin type and what I thought of them.

1. Clarins Cleansing Milk

This cleanser is unlike any I have tried before, you warm it in your hands and place it all over your face, press the flat of your hands 5 to 6 times on to your face to help it lift off your make up. Just as I am writing this I'm thinking this sounds like too much faff, and it is a lot of effort! What's wrong with some cream and a hot cloth? Saying all this my skin felt pretty good after using it. My eyes were not so happy though, I went to bed looking like Mrs squinty with stinging eyes. I have just come back to this post after removing my make up using this cleansing milk and OUCH! My eyes hurt again, I cant remove all my eye make up and now I'm squinting again. I do love how this makes my skin feel but I don't get that lovely clean new skin feeling and with stinging eyes I am not loving this! I keep thinking do I want to carry on using this stuff? I will as it wasn't cheap but I will not be repurchasing. I followed the instructions from Clarins own website as to using this product, the demonstration clearly shows the model placing the cream over her eyes. There are two types of eye make up remover which I could purchase as well, that would work better. I would prefer to have one product that can do it all.
Clarins do make some lovely products and I do own a couple that I love and have repurchased, this one though, is just not for me. Click here to check out the whole Clarins range.

Rating: 5/10

Recommend/ Worth the money: No, although it leaves your skin soft and clean I won't be buying this again! My bloody eyes were so sore! I want a cleanser that I do not have to worry if it gets into my eyes.

2. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

After just one use of this wondrous product I was hooked, I have never had my make up just be lifted away from my skin. With the use of the muslin cloth that came with the set and hand hot water, it all comes off easily. Putting this cream over your eyes it removes all eye make up and mascara right down to your lash roots. It left my skin feeling so clean (how did I ever use face wipes? shakes head). My pores appear smaller, maybe it is down to fact I am pulling all make up/daily dirt out of my skin. The muslin cloth also acts to give a light exfoliation with every use which helps rid your skin of dirt and dead skin. It is still gentle enough that it can be used over the eye area.
You gently rub this cream over your face and do your eyes last (obviously with clean hands) and rub in circular motions and the magic happens. I even use this before bed, on days where I have not been wearing make up.

If I didn't have a few more cleansers to use I would have repurchased this already, I 100% will be using this again and have asked for another set for my birthday. The muslin cloths can be purchased separately if you want to have a few more to use. I used mine a couple of times and in between uses make sure it is clean and able to dry completely between face washes. To wash it thoroughly I put it in the washing machine in a white wash and it comes out perfect and smells great.

Check out Liz Earle here or maybe visit a shop if you are ever near one, products can be purchased in minis if you do not fancy jumping into a full size bottle.

Rating: 9/10 (why haven't I tried this sooner)

Recommend/ worth the money: Yes 100%, I have never had a product remove every scrap of make up and not irritate or sting my eyes in any way. I opened my eyes every time I used it with no irritation caused. Liz Earle is cruelty free too

3. Bee Good Cream Cleanser

This cleanser is very gentle on your skin and took off my face make up perfectly, with the eye area not so good. I had to go over my eyes with the cloth a few times to make sure the make up was off. It didn't irritate my eyes but didn't remove the mascara right from the lash bed.
It also comes with a cloth to help take off the make up, which works very well and can also be washed easily in a normal white clothing wash. This product is very good to use day and night and my skin felt clean and happy after every use. I quite like the smell too.
All Be Good products are made in the UK and are cruelty free, click here to check them out.

Rating: 7/10

Recommend/ worth the money: Yes if you are into a more natural type of product, full of lovely ingredients then you would love this. If you are not a heavy eye make up wearer then this would be good for you.

My overall favourite cleanser is hands down the Liz Earle, it really is going to be hard to find a cleanser to beat this. I have a few more in the pipeline to try so we shall see, for the 3 above I recommend Liz Earle to anyone.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

La Roche-Posay

Howdy,

Do you have scars on your face, redness or an uneven complexion? Me too until I tried this cream and it really helped.

The only reason I first tried this is because I found it on an end-display in Boots for £3 (score), it was not out of date or damaged so no idea why it was there and it was not being discontined either. Also this cream was suited to my skin type and luckily has worked wonders.

Going right back to when I first started using this cream about 18 months ago. I used it religiously everyday in the morning and it probably took a good month or so before I saw a slight difference. It was only a small difference to start with but I noticed old scars on my face started to get lighter and gradually over time start to fade. I have never found a cream help my skin so well and it be readily available on the high street. I do still have to use a heavier cream, which I tend to use at night. This Effaclar K(+) works wonders but will not neccessarily offer you the full hydration you need, especially in these cold winter months and dryer air in the home due to the heating being on. Because it does not take long to soak in it is perfect for under make up, I find I can apply anything after using this. There is no need to wait or feel that you will become greasy if you apply your make up straight after.

The La Roche Posay brand offers such a wide range of products and they really target every skin type, and I don't just mean the usual oily/combination or normal skin type. They go much further than that, there are 14 ranges for your face alone and 6 different types of skin needs, the range offers so many products. It obviously makes sense to do your research and work out what would be best suited for your needs, they really are worth checking out.

I have had many samples sent to me for free because they have offered samples online, this is a great way to try the creams etc and see if you really like them and if they suit your skin needs. 

These products quite often do go on offer in Boots and on Boots.com 
You can get 3 for 2 or sometimes 25% off, so it is worth looking out for the offers.
This cream is a staple in my skin care routine and one I always buy again before I run out.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

Quidco (Money for free)

Howdy,

If you want to make money or get discounts on your purchases then you should sign up to Quidco.

Quidco is a website that offers cashback on your purchases or a percentage off what you purchase. By signing up to this website it tracks purchases you make in store and gives you the cash back on those transactions too. Sometimes you may only get a few pence back, but it all adds up.

All you have to do is log into your Quidco account, search for the shop you wish to buy from, it will show you if they are offering any type of discount/cashback and you follow the link to the website and make your purchase as you normally would. It really is that simple, I check Quidco before making any online purchases no matter what it may be. 
They offer cashback/discounts on travel, clothing, children's toys, electrical, toiletries, all types of insurances, food and drink etc.

The latest things my husband and I received money back on was our bed which we got £14.66 and for my UGG boots which I saved £11.59. I would have been making these purchases anyway so with the bonus of money back its an even bigger saving. My husband and I both have our own accounts, that way more cards means more chance of money coming in. You can keep track of all your purchases and see when they are confirmed, sometimes they are declined but you are able to dispute them if you want to. Most of my money I get back are from orders I do at Boots, its free delivery to the shop I still receive all of my points and make money back on my purchases too.

If you are interested go check them out, here is a link to Quidco. There are no catches or spam emails sent to you and I get nothing for telling you this I just thought I would be kind and share it ;-) I have asked a lot of my friends about this and not a single person had heard of it. I have used Quidco for years and I think it is great. Imagine the amount of cash back you could get on a really big purchase like a holiday.

The only thing to note (which isn't a bad thing) some transactions can take a few months to go through till they are confirmed, so the sooner you start using it and keep using it you will have a constant stream of money coming in. Even if that constant stream is just a few pence each time it all adds up. Once money is confirmed you can transfer it into any back account or turn it into vouchers where they give you more than if you just took the cash. For eg you decided to go for Debenhams vouchers, at the moment they give you an extra 10% on the amount you have available. £100 cash or £110 Debenhams vouchers. It all helps and may be that little extra cash you need at Christmas or a little treat to yourself.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx