Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

Hi Ladies! So if you read my 'Christmas Gift Guide' here you might of seen me mention that I've got a few bits and pieces from Origins coming my way this Christmas. I had been lusting after their 'Gin Zing' eye cream for ages so when my lovely mum said I could choose a few presents, I decided to pop over to Origins and see what they had to offer. To my pleasent surprise they were offering free gift wrapping and FOUR free samples with any order over £30 so that gave me the little push I needed to finally order the eye cream I've heard such great things about. I popped it in my basket along with a concealer and picked out the four free mini samples I would like to receive, one of them being the High-Potency Night-A-Mins. I felt very content with my order and got them delivered to my house back in the Lake District as they are Christmas presents after all and my mum wanted to wrap them. However, when I went home to visit a couple of weeks ago, mum said I could use the samples before Christmas as they weren't technically part of my gift.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed I'd only been sent three samples as apposed to the stated four on the website but nevertheless I couldn't wait to give them a try. I was however very happy with the generous 30ml 'Night-A-Mins' sample I was sent. The full-sized product is 50ml so I thought this was an excellent offer and I couldn't wait to start using it.

I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and let me tell you - I am IN LOVE. Firstly, it smells of oranges which I absolutely love and when I first opened the pot I sat sniffing it for a good few minutes like a total weirdo (it really is that amazing!). I also noticed on first glance that it was an extrememly thick, some might say, 'gloopy' cream which worried me as I suffer with an oily t-zone. I'm sure most of you are aware that heavy creams and oily skin are NOT a good combination but being the good little blogger that I am, I of course had to try it out anyway. That night I popped it all over my face which might I add only required the tiniest amount so this 30ml tub will last me a long time and I was quite shocked by how it felt on my skin. It isn't heavy in any way, it instantly sunk in without leaving a horrible residue behind and my skin felt instantly moisturised and nourished. I've been using this every night since I received it (it's found a permanent home on my bedside table) and I would go as far as saying it's the most lovely night cream I have ever used. I find my skin looks so much better in the morning if I use this the night before, it appears more radiant and plumed up with a healthy glow. It certainly lives up to it's description on the Origins website -

'Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Helps the appearance of dullness.'

They sample I was sent is the original version which is aimed at those with combination/dry skin but they also offer an oil-free version for those with oily skin. Like I said earlier, my skin is prone to an oily t-zone but the original version has in no way made my skin oilier. However, if that is something that concerns you, the oil-free version is a great alternative. I will certainly be buying the full-size version of this product when this one eventually runs out. It's available on the Origins website here for £33 which is expensive but it will last a long time.

Have you ever tried Origins products? I'm super excited to get the rest of my goodies on Christmas morning now I've dipped my toes into the world of Origins.


Lots of Love,

Murad Pore Perfection Starter Kit

*Murad Pore Perfection Starter Kit - £12.50

Hi Ladies! I was recently contacted by Murad and asked if I'd like to try their Pore Perfection starter kit. As I had heard of Murad before and knew it was a high-end luxury brand, I instantly jumped at the chance and said yes. As I'm currently looking for a job there is no way I could afford to buy expensive skin care myself so I was very grateful to be given the opportunity. The kit I was sent includes four products - Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser (50ml), T-Zone Pore Refining Gel (15ml) and Energizing Pomegranate Moisturiser (30ml). They also included a Skin Perfecting Primer (5ml) which I have actually tried before when it was included in a Glossybox.

As these products are designed for people with oily skin, it is the perfect kit for me. My skin isn't super oily but I do find I get an oily t-zone so I was particularly excited to try the 'T-Zone Pore Refining Gel'. When the kit arrived in the post, I was very impressed with how it was presented in this lovely box and each of the products were cute, pink and a generous size. First impressions = excellent!

After using these products for a few weeks I feel I have got a real feel for them and want to give you my thoughts. 

First up is the Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser which is designed to cleanse and tone the skin in one simple step. I have to point out before I continue that the scent of all these products is quite strong but I didn't personally mind that. Just keep that in mind though if you aren't partial to a strong scent. I have been using this cleanser whilst having a shower for the past few weeks now and I must admit, I love it. It is a foam cleanser so when pumped onto my hand the liquid turns into a frothy white foam. I really like the idea of using foam on my face as it is less messy and fussy than a cream or gel. When applying this to my face I rub it around in circular motions and I find that a little goes a very long way. This small bottle is only 50ml but I have been using it for a few weeks now and have only used just over a quater of the bottle. It sinks into my skin perfectly and it almost felt like rubbing silk over my face. The foam feels so smooth and it instantly removed my makeup and left my skin feeling soft and supple. One thing I hate about some cleansers is the tight feeling it can leave on my skin but this did the exact opposite and left it feeling hydrated. I would definitely recommend this product and I am contemplating buying the full-size bottle when I have more money.

Next up is the T-Zone Pore Refining Gel which again, is a fab little product. Much like the cleanser, this product is going to last such a long time. I have been using it in conjunction with the cleanser for three week or four weeks and have barely touched the surface. A little goes a very long way with this product. At first, I was a bit confused as to how I was meant to use this as I have never heard of or used anything similar previously. However, after doing a bit of research I came to realise that this product is supposed to be used down the t-zone where skin is partial to excess oil. The aim of the product is for it to control shine and minimize pores. Now I can't really say I've seen a difference in the size of my pores as I'm quite lucky to not really have any. However, I can definitely say this helps to control shine which is great if you suffer with excess oil like me. I really like this and like I said earlier, it will last such a long time. The only down side is that this has the strongest scent of all three products and is even a bit too strong for my liking.

The final step of the routine is the Energizing Pomegranate Moisturiser. As with the other two products, I really love this. As someone who suffers with an oily t-zone, I always worry about using too much moisturiser as I think it can add extra oil to my skin. However, this moisturiser is so light and sinks into my skin straight away. It also left it feeling hydrated instead of heavy and oily. Again it has the standard scent but I found this to be the least offensive of all three products. 

As for the Skin Perfecting Primer, this is the one product I wasn't overly keen on. To be honest, primers just don't do it for me as I never seem to get any benefit from them. This one also has a tint to it instead of being clear and I found it was a little too dark for my skin which resulted in it looking a tad muddy. It also left my skin feeling sticky, looking shiny and didn't do much in terms of smoothing out my pores. As I say though, I don't think I have ever tried a primer I get along with. With this being said, I can look past the primer as the main products in this kit are great.

If you are interested in trying this kit, it is currently on sale for half price here making it £12.50 instead of the usual £25.00. I have really enjoyed using all of the products and would really recommend giving this a try if you have difficulty controlling oil. However, if you don't  have oily skin they have other kits for anti-ageing and blemish prone skin too so you can find something to suit. The small bottles do last a long time too so £12.50 is a real bargain for high-end skincare products. Plus I always think sample sizes are a good way to test a new skincare routine before committing to buying the full-size bottles. The full size version of this kit costs a very hefty £70.00 but I must admit, if I had that kind of money I would buy it. Maybe I should stock up on these little kits while they are on sale? Hmmmmm.

Have you ever tried anything from Murad? Do you like the look of this kit?

Lots of Love,

Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tanner

Hello Ladies. I hope you are all well. I hear the weather over in the UK has been amazing recently? That's a first! It's raining here in Oz, typical isn't it. Anyway, as it is now coming into summer I wanted to review the perfect summer product. Now I'm sure most of you have heard of this or even used this before but I have only recently started using this again and I have rekindled my love for it. As I'm in Oz at the minute, I have obviously been wearing things that show a little more skin so I have been slathering this on to give my skin a tanned glow. I realise I should be sunbathing and getting a real tan but quite frankly, I've had better things to be doing. Dove Summer Body is a gradual self tanner meaning when applied it has no colour but after a few hours it develops and leaves a subtle tan. I personally love to use this at night time, after I've showered and before I get into bed. This means I can put it on before I go to sleep and let it develop through the night. 

To be honest, I have tried a lot of these gradual tanners as I remember them being hyped about a few years ago. The most famous was probably the Johnson's one in the yellow bottle, do you remember that? Yes, it was good but personally I think this one is so much better. I buy the shade for normal to dark skin as I find it gives me a deeper tan after a few applications but there is also an option for light to medium skin if you are worried about going too dark. I especially think these products are great for people who are very pale and think a proper fake than will leave them orange. With this product you have a lot more control over the intensity of colour. If I use this once, it will add a subtle bronzed glow to my skin whereas when I apply it 2/3 times it develops into a deeper tan. This means I can apply as much as I want, depending on what kind of tan I'm after. Also, this tan is great for the face. I have often used fake tans on my face and woke up looking like a patchy brown mess. Due to this being a moisturiser, it glides on to the face perfectly and leaves me with a lovely even colour. I find my makeup looks much nicer if I have a used this the night before as well. Another thing I love about this is the smell. You may of noticed I'm always talking about the smell of products in my reviews but for me, its an important factor. I want the products I'm applying to make my skin not only look but smell lovely too. Well, this certainly doesn't disappoint in the smell stakes. Oh my goodness, it smells amazing. It really does smell like summer in a bottle - fruity and fresh. The texture of the lotion is quite thick but I like that as I feel it really helps moisturise the skin. It sinks into the skin pretty quickly and doesn't leave a sticky residue like some tanners/body lotions can. Just to top it all off, this product is exceptionally cheap. This huge 250ml bottle can be purchased on Amazon here for as little as 3.27, I best get stocked up. It is also available from all the usual places including Boots, Superdrug & most Supermarkets. 

Have you ever tried the Dove Gradual tanner? What do you think?

Lots of Love,