Liv - Cleanse Complex - Getting rid of hormonal acne!

If you suffer from hormonal acne you need to do something about it, as lotions and potions isn't going to help on it's own! I used to suffer from this quite badly and tried so many different skin care brands as I was convinced it was cosmetic acne. I was wrong!
Hormonal acne usually occurs on the side of the face, it can range from little bumps to large cyst like bumps which really hurt.
Cosmetic acne is caused by product buildup which is caused from skincare and make up.

In order to stop hormonal acne you need to detox your liver, now there are many ways of doing this as google will tell you. However, I have found the following solution very effective.
I don't get hormonal acne as much as I used to but during the time of the month it decides to flare up again... unless I use this product!

Liv-Cleanse complex is by "Nature's Answer" which is a balanced all natural herbal formula that deeply cleanses and detoxifies the liver. I got mine from an organic health shop "Organic World" in Islington, London to be precise.

How to use it: You squeeze a drop of it into a little bit of water three times a day or when required.

How does it smell and taste: It smells as disgusting as it tastes!

I used this for about a week when I first got it, and I could see the difference on my face, no new spots occured and it was just a wonderful feeling. I now use it when I'm on the last few days of my menstrual cycle which stops the little buggers from resurfacing.
I forgot to take mine this month and unfortunately they reappeared :( So this proved again that this product was my saviour!!

I heart you liv cleanse complex - if you suffer from hormonal acne, go check it out!!! xx

Face of the day!

Face: Bobbi Brown moisture rich foundation, Benefit some kinda gorgeous in deep to contour.

Eyes: Bobbi Bobbi Brown creamy concealer, Mac naked lunch all over lid and as highlight. Mac grand duo in Earth to Earth on crease, and Mac Dark Devotion to deepen crease (From holiday 2008 smoky eyes palette) Benefit eye bright on water line, Mac black track fluid line on upper lash line, Chanel Exceptionnel mascara.

Cheeks: Mac grand duo in Moon River as highlight, Nars Laguna to contour and Mac MSF Gold Deposit as blush.
Lips: Mac Oak lipliner and Too faced lip injection extreme.

Review: Mac Kitty Couture Sheer Mystery Powder

I use this pressed powder mainly to set my concealer and eliminate shine from my face on areas that I don't want. It basically functions as a blot powder. The texture of this sheer mystery powder is just gorgeous, it feels like silk and glides on very easily. The finish is translucent and sheer, I used to be an anti powder girl which meant everything in my make up collection consisted of cream products. However, i'm obvisouly a convert as I have many powder form products, but I'm still very fussy. This product does not dissapoint, it feels light on the skin and doesn't even feel like your wearing anything - you also can not tell that you even have powder on the face, it just looks like skin. How good is that? :) I would only advise you get this if you want a sheer finish and hate the cakey look some powders give you. I like to apply mine with a fan brush from Smashbox cosmetics.

This was purchased from Harrods in London, approx £55.

Overall I think it's good value for money as you get a refill and the compact itself is reusable, once the powders have finished I can put my favourite blush in there, and it's just gorgeous encrusted with the swarovski crystals.

Do you have this Kitty Couture sheer mystery powder? how do you like it? Let me know if you have any further questions.

Review: Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara

The Verdict: I actually really liked this mascara it has a unique brush that you apply like a normal mascara at first and then you go over the lashes whilst rolling the brush upwards. It's supposed to add length, volume and curl. I have to say it did add length and volume but not so much a curl. However I still like it, I will just have to make sure that I use an eyelash curler beforehand. However the most impressive thing for me was that it did not smudge one bit! I wore it all night last night and tried it again this morning, no smears at all! I think purely for that reason it's worth £19.50. Any other mascara that I have used definately smudges no matter what the price tag, I have to keep checking in the mirror to wipe it off the residue. This mascara passes the test and I am seriously very impressed. I would highly advise you try it if you hate mascara that runs as this will become your new best friend.

With thanks to Hele and SaskiaTheSalsaFairy :) for demanding that I buy it! xx

Review: Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme

I quite like my lips as they are with a touch of Mac Oak lipliner and that's usually my daily lip. However I also like to accentuate them when I feel like it, I have tried the Too Faced lip injection in Techno Buff which works great but I wanted to see what "Extreme" could do.
Please note: my lips have some Bobbi Brown moisture rich foundation residue on them.

Before

After
After

The Verdict: I love it, it's a great alternative if you want your lips to be fuller! It goes on quite smooth and is not too sticky, within 2 minutes it starts to TINGLE and sting! You can actually feel it working and watch it plump up, it feels like peppermint and like you have just had your lips done with silicone. It basically inflames your lips to its full potential. You can see a significant difference in my upper lip where the cupids bow is, also my bottom lip looks more rounded.

The product itself is a clear gloss with tiny baby blue and pink reflect and has a brush tip applicator.

It lasts for a few hours, if I was wearing it on a night out I like to apply it twice as the tingling sensation fades and I like to feel the tingle. :) This would be lovely applied on top of a perfect nude lipstick.

I wouldn't advise you try this if your lips are sensitive, It's best to test it in store first - I have read about some horror stories with people having an allergic reaction to this product so use with caution.

Have you tried this before? What do you think about it?

Face and hair of the night!

We went out for a meal and I decided to curl my hair.. I used Mark hill curling tongs....

As you can see I like to accessorise! I wasn't posing here btw, I was fixing my hair and *flash*

Makeup!
Face: Bobbi Brown tinted moisturiser, Benefit some kinda gorgeous foundation in deep to contour. Benefit boing concealer under eyes.

Cheeks: Mac Grand duo in "Moon River" to highlight and as blush, Mac Grand duo in "Earth to earth" as blush and contour.

Eyes: All Mac shadows; Naked lunch all over, Bronze on crease and deep purple pigment to deepen crease. Mac fluidline blacktrack as liner. Chanel Exceptionnel mascara - lasted all night btw - no smudges!

Lips: Boing concealer, Mac Oak lipliner to line lips and Nars Turkish Delight as gloss.

Let me know what you think.. x

Mini Haul

I decided to get a new mascara today as I just wasn't feeling the ones I have. Those of you who follow me on twitter will know that I couldn't decide between Dior show blackout (Love - used before) L'oreal Telescopic and I was even considering the Rimmel sexy curves. But!!!! Hele and Saskia managed to convince me to buy the Chanel exceptionnel, which I'm glad I did and know I'm going to love, it has a unique brush and is supposed to add length, volume and curl! We shall see, expect a review soon.


I also went into accessorize ans walked out with these indian style oversized earrings which are beautiful £8! I also went to a small boutique and got the gold / black earrings that are so elegant.. and the wooden ring with gold wire detailing... Very me!

Don't be afraid of colour!

Fashion Tip: Wear a bright dress and tone down with brown accessories..

OR

Wear a brown dress and jazz it up with bright accessories..

All sets created by me, myself and I.

MY SKINCARE ROUTINE

I have been keeping to this exact routine for about 3-4 months now, and it works wonderfully for me. If I skip any of the steps my skin breaks out. I have dry sensitive skin.. sometimes an oily T zone. This post was highly requested and I hope you enjoy and can benefit from it.


I used to suffer with acne on the sides of my face which was caused by hormones, I had scars all over which I would pick off quite frequently. However this routine has really helped me reduce the scars and has eliminated some of them all together. The range I use is for sun damaged skin, so it really has helped me repair quite miraculously! All products listed below..

MORNING:
Wash face with facial wash (Neal’s Yard orange flower facial wash)
Dry face with face towel
Apply toner with cotton round (Neal’s Yard orange flower water)
Apply moisturiser (Neal’s Yard Jasmine enriching cream)
Apply Eye cream (Bobbi Brown hydrating eye cream)

NIGHT:
Remove eye make up (home made – ¼ olive oil & ¾ water with cotton round)
Remove face make up (L’occitane ultra comforting cleansing milk)
Wash face with facial wash (Neal’s Yard orange flower facial wash)
Dry face with face towel
Apply toner with cotton round (Neal’s Yard orange flower water)
Apply a thick layer of moisturiser (Neal’s Yard Jasmine enriching cream)
Apply Eye cream (Bobbi Brown hydrating eye cream)

TREATMENTS:
I exfoliate twice a week with L’occitane “Cade” which is actually my husbands, but I love it – it’s very gentle and works wonders.
I use Neal’s Yard wild rose beauty balm or Orange flower facial oil once a week as an intense moisture treatment.
I also use Soap and Glory – Scrub your nose in it whenever I remember to fight blackheads.

FYI: I don't smoke or drink alcohol.

Shampoo Cleansing Ingredients To Avoid:

Hi girls, I wanted to make you aware of certain chemicals which can be very harsh and drying to the hair. Check to see if your shampoo contains the following ingredients, it most likely does!
Do you feel that your hair is dry and you need to use more conditioner and buy intense moisture masks? Then seriously try eliminating these ingredients and see the difference.

Shampoo Cleansing Ingredients To Avoid:

Ingredient info from: http://www.savvyskin.com/shampoo-ingredients-to-avoid

Extremely common ingredients
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate
TEA Lauryl Sulfate
Sulfur (in dandruff shampoos)
Selenium Sulfide (in dandruff shampoos)

Less common ingredients
Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Thiosulfate
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Alkyl Sodium Sulfate
Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
TEA-Dodecylbenzene
Sodium C12-15 Alkyl Sulfate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate is the chemical used to make your shampoo froth. Shampoos that don't contain these don't froth up as much so you have been warned, but still clean your hair just as good!
I have switched to natural paraben free shampoos about 5 months ago and it has really made a difference, even my hubby is a convert!

I originally used Aveda, but found it was too expensive to keep up with. So I did my research and found this alternative http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/ it's the naked hair line available at boots, the shampoo's are £3.99, which isn't too bad, paraben and nasty harsh chemical free! There are many more brands to choose from.. but be sure to print out the list of what to avoid.. and get your hair looking and feeling its best!

Corn Row / Sew in Hair Extensions

I finally got my extensions today... :)

I went to an Afro carribean hair salon, and can I say.. why didn't I do this before?

Basically what she did was corn row (braids) in rows into my hair starting from the bottom, she used extra bits of hair while cornrowing it to make it a tiny bit thicker. The cornrow itself was about half a cm. She secured the row into place by sewing it, then sewed in the extension onto the corn row. It hurt a little bit as it's quite tight, but it was bearable :)

It looks quite natural from the back and the side, the colour match is perfect! She also layered the hair in to make it look more like mine!

The hair itself cost £35.99 from an Afro Carribean hair shop, it's 18 inch 100% human hair weft. At the salon they charged £5 a row.. I have 4 rows, 2 of which are double wefts of hair. In total it cost me £56 including the hair.

It will last approx 1 month, maybe longer.. I think this is a great step to go for after clip ins, as it just looks so natural and you don't have to take them out at night, or worry about the wind blowing it off... It's also not damaging to the hair, once the rows get loose you take them out and can have them put back in again. easy as that! Oh and it took just less than an hour to complete.

it's just so nice to finally have long hair after trying to grow it.. I haven't had hair this long since I was 11! what do you think? :) xx

We can do it together - 4 week challenge!

So, a few of you have been inspired to join me in my target to shift some kilos and tone up! Let's document our progress!

• Take a photo on day one 23rd March
• Measure waist and hips

• Take a photo at the end of the challenge 20th April
• Measure waist and hips

Good Luck.. Let's see how it goes after 4 weeks. On the 21st of April we can indulge in whatever we want. And do this challenge for another 4 weeks if need be!

My 4 Week Challenge!

My commitment for 4 weeks will be as follows...
Starting on Monday 23rd March!
My aim: To lose 3-4kg and try to tone up my body!

Every morning:

• 3 sets of 15 squats with dumbells
• 3 sets of 25 sit ups

I will keep a food diary! This way I can keep track of what I eat, I will aim to make more sensible choices and eliminate junk food from my diet!

I will walk after my train journey on my way to work, this should take about 30-40 mins! Note to self: Do not wear heels.. or be clever and carry flats in your bag! 5 days a week - this should help my legs - big time! I will see how this goes :)

Once a week to do a fitness video regime or dancing for 1 hour.

I will keep you updated with the results.. Wish me luck :) x

FOTD - Natural Look

I was at my motherinlaws today to spend some time with the family. We had a lovely day including a LOVELY meal. This is the make up I was wearing.

On the left we have Ema, and on the right we have Layla. My sister in laws daughters, been playing around with them all day... the lil chickens :)

On the face I am wearing only cream based products. I first applied BB moisture rich foundation with my hands. Then I used BeneFit some kind a gorgeous foundation in deep to contour. I used ELF all over colour stick in Pink Lemonade amazing btw on apples of cheeks as blush. I used the Body Shop bronzing stick to bronze as bronzer. I used MEMEME Beat the blues as highlighter. All applied with Mac 187 brush.

On the eyes I have Nars Cyprus all over the lid. I used my Nars eyeshadow duo in Madrague.. The darker colour in the crease and the lighter one as highlight. I used Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Bourbon to liner my upper lash line and then applied mascara.

On the lips I have Mac Pink Fish (LOVE) and Mac Oak lip liner to line lips.

I got me some hair!

After work today, I went to an Afro Carribean hair shop and got me this! It comes in at £35.99 and is a very long weft of hair! It's an exact colour match so I'm REALLY pleased! They are 18 Inch by the way, as I want really long hair :)
What will I do with it? Well, hopefully on Tuesday after work I will go to an Afro Carribean hair salon and get them cornrowed (braided) in. I have already been to the salon and have spoken to the lady that will do it for me. She said she will charge about £5 a row and double up on some of the wefts as I want a full length. I really can't wait! She said it would roughly last 3 weeks if I wash it once a week, I think it will differ on people though.. I think and hope it will last longer. I suppose that once it's removed I can just have it braided back in?
I don't like the option of using glue on my hair.. I don't mind clip-ins, but I have used them alot before and think they are great but I don't enjoy removing them :( as it upsets me.. lol I want long hair when I sleep and wake up!
Anyway.. I will keep you updated! x

Let's talk about The Body Shop!

A few beauty bloggers including myself have been invited to a beauty bloggers event in London to discuss and learn about products from the Body Shop on the 2nd of April. I already own several products from the brand which I absolutely love! My favourite product is the Mango Body Butter!

Just to let you know that I will be attending the afternoon session. It will be lovely to meet fellow bloggers :)

I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my views on a few products that I own from them. The brand is ANTI animal testing by the way!

Me and my husband absolutely love these home fragrance oils, you know your in the body shop when you smell beautiful fruity floral scents! We currently have Satsuma and White Petals.
The oil burner is also from the bodyshop.

On to the make up!!!! I must admit, I'm not a major fan of their make up, as the price range is comparable to Mac.. However I do enjoy certain products and feel they need a mention as they are gorgeous! :) Girls! Also keep an eye out for their sales as they change their packaging frequently and mark down products. Yay! :)

On the left we have Hi-Shine lip treatment - unsure of colour as it was a sample in a free gift set that you get when you spend over £25!

On the right we have a cream bronzing stick in shade 01. (I got this AGES ago, I know you should chuck make up out after a certain time, but this is fine, smells good, looks good.. it's fine and I LOVE IT!

Swatches below!

The lip gloss is very lovely, it has a beautiful fruity smell which just makes me want to eat my lips :) it goes on smoothly.. however is a bit sticky!

The bronzing cream stick is similar to the Nars multiple in South beach.

Swatches below. On the top: Body Shop and on the bottom: Nars.

I love both of them, but the body shop bronzing cream stick actually has better colour payoff, has a thicker consistency so you use less and is much cheaper!

It looks so pretty when it's blended out, see swatch below..

Note to the body shop: Please bring this cream bronzing stick back so I can buy more :) I know that you have got a special edition Rose Flower Radiance Stick which looks lovely, but more colour choices PLEASE!

I also used to use the illuminating face lotion.. I think that's what it was called. It was a GORGEOUS primer, kind of similar to strobe cream by Mac. I remember it went on sale becuase of the change of packaging and I got like 5!

How do they test products, if they don't test on animals?

A colleuge at work was questioning animal testing and asked; "what do they test on if they don't test on animals?" and I honestly couldn't answer the question in detail.. So, I thought this would be an interesting read for you..

So I did my research and I have found that there are so many alternative methods of testing that don not involve animals.

Some examples: There is amazing software that has been developed, that can almost accurately predict the type of reaction that chemicals will have.
A synthetic skin has also been invented. this is absolutely amazing, because even though it has no human or animal product in it, it behaves exactly the same way that human skin would when exposed to chemicals.
However, every single product on the market is tested on numerous humans before it hits the shelves. So its not like testing on animals has much point.
Here's a fact that I thought was quite interesting.

If we took the results of animal tests as true, we would say that lemon juice is poisonous for human ingestion, while bromine, iodine and hemlock would be safe.
Says a lot, huh?

(info from WIKIanswers)

How they test products on animals!

The cosmetic industry uses four basic tests on animals.

1. The first test is for eye irritations, or Draize test, in which shampoos and cosmetics are put into rabbit’s eyes, which are fastened, open. The chemical causes blistering, swelling and blindness. The pain often becomes so intense that the rabbit breaks its back trying to get away from it.
2. The second test is the skin irritation test in which the test animal has an area of its back stripped of fur and the test product repeatedly rubbed into the bare skin causing rash, pain and swelling.
3. The third test is the LD/50 test (Lethal dose - 50% die). In this test cosmetics are force fed to test animals to determine the amount necessary to cause 50% of them to die in severe agony from such things as organ blockage, toxic reaction, and convulsions.
4. Fourth is the inhalation test. In this test, animals are sprayed repeatedly in the face for a 2-1/2 hour period, and then killed and their tissues examined.

Info from: http://www.veganrepresent.com/

Remember this when you purchase and use cosmetics of a brand that tests on live animals. I will definately not be purchasing from brands that do this anymore.

Mac, Nars, Bobbi Brown and Barry M do not test on animals. PHEW!!! :)

L O L I C O C O - Exotic Accessories!

I have a new blog: http://www.lolicoco.blogspot.com/

Quite a few of my followers have been interested in buying the jewellery that I make, so I have decided to set up like this for now.

This blog will be updated on a regular basis, I will upload photos of the jewellery that I make which will be available to ship worldwide.

Method of payment: PayPal only.
Please e mail: lolicoco@london.com for further instructions or additional information.

The site however, is still in progress as I haven't uploaded any photos yet. I just wanted to let you know that I am working on it. I'm in the middle of choosing some lovely eco friendly packaging. Contact me if you have any suggestions or comments regarding this subject.

What do you think of the name: LOLICOCO?

I appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to pleasing you with my exotic creations.

Muhsine

My Vanity Area

Today has been an organising day, I have sorted through my clothes and other belongings. I finally got my mirror from Ikea yesterday and was able to complete the finishing touches of my vanity area. For your info: The desk and mirror are from the MALM range at Ikea. Desk approx £80 and mirror approx £50.


I will show you how mine is set up in detail.


My make up is stored in the lovely floral drawer box from the Laura Ashley range at WHSmith, as previously mentioned in an older blog post.

This birdcage tea light holder is one of my favourite items, I got it ages ago from Laura Ashley. Everytime I look at it, it makes me smile. :)

Oooo my dainty perfume ornament.. I got it because it was pretty, I don't intend to put anything in it. A cute picture frame adds a personalised touch. These are both from TK Maxx.

My Revlon mirror from Boots, it has 3 different light settings and the other side of the mirror is 5x magnified. Approx £40. Very good for plucking eyebrows and applying makeup in areas of bad lighting.

This is how I'm storing my palettes, it's actually a letter holder, how cool of an idea is that? It also holds my trusty Fix+!

This is how I'm storing my brushes: The floral one is for my eye brushes, (from a box set, mentioned at the end). The pink one is a Jemma Kidd brush holder from Boots.

It actually has four compartments, which is very handy.

The drawer includes most of my jewellery.. as mentioned in a previous blog post.

I don't like having clutter on display, I would much rather store them in pretty boxes. This box set of 5 was £14.99 from TK Maxx.

All I'm missing is a chair! Any ideas on where I can find one that suits this area? Thanks. Hope I have given you all some ideas. X