Proactiv Solution | My Verdict

Hi everyone, I don't know if you remember but a few weeks ago I was sent the proactiv skincare system to test by Boots. They claim to improve your skins condition within two weeks and after five weeks your skin should be completely clear.

I was really excited to try this out as I had heard good things about proactiv and I do suffer from breakouts so I was secretly wishing this would be the answer to all my skin problems.

Unfortunately it isn't.

The skincare system is very much like the one by Clinique. There is a cleanser, toner and moisturiser and it is meant to be used twice daily.

To begin, remove any makeup with a wipe or makeup remover and wet your face with warm water and apply a small amount of cleanser (a little goes a long way). It is a blue colour with tiny gritty particles. They are slightly rough but it feels like your skin is getting a deep clean. Rinse your face with hot water. Afterwards your skin feels really clean and fresh and my pores didn't feel clogged up.

The toner is really refreshing. I apply it with a cotton pad and sweep it over my t-zone and cheeks. This also removes any makeup that is left on your face. Let the toner dry and then apply a pea-sized amount of the moisturiser. This is very soothing and has a cooling effect to the skin which is lovely. 

After trying it out for the first time I was very impressed as my skin felt thoroughly cleaned before bed. 

However, the next morning I woke up and was covered in spots......

The night before my forehead was completely clear and blemish free. I couldn't believe it and was really disappointed. I was tempted to stop using proactiv there and then but I thought it might be the cleanser drawing out all the impurities and after all these spots go my skin might be left beautiful and clear.

I used it religiously for 3 weeks morning and night. My skin was still breaking out and as one spot goes another was taking its place. My forehead was affected the worst. Other areas of my face such as my nose and under my eyebrows were very dry and flaking which is not very nice. The only part of my face that was liking the skincare system were my cheeks. They felt very soft and clean and have improved since using proactiv. 

The info on the back of the cleanser says if you are suffering dryness cut back to using the cleanser once a day. I switched to once a day after three weeks.

After three weeks of proactiv this is what my forehead looked like....

I decided to continue using proactive on my cheeks, chin and nose and return to my trust liz earl for my forehead. After a week of this moderated system this is what my forehead looked like...

 My forehead is clearing up and I have no new breakouts. I am still using proactiv around my cheeks, nose and chin and my skin is reacting really well and has improved in condition.

Overall I have a love/hate relationship with proactiv as half of my face likes it where my other half doesn't. It is a bit of a faff washing my face with two cleansers so once proactiv is used up I will be returning to my faithful liz earl.

If you are interested in trying out the proactiv skincare line I wouldn't try and dissuade you as it has worked miracles for many people but it just didn't for me.

It costs £39.99 for the three products and you can purchase it here.

I hope this review has been helpful and if any of you have tried proactiv I would love to know what you think about it.

Thanks for reading

xxx

New Video!

Hi everyone,

I don't want to get into posting about new videos I put up because I think its cheating as I haven't put any thought into it.

I just wanted to let you know I am having a makeup giveaway when I reach 250 subscribers so I would love it if you could subscribe if you like my videos.

Thanks for watching

xxxx

Coral in Gold

Hi everyone, Spring is right around the corner along with all the newest fashion and makeup trends. Coral is a beautiful colour that is really in this year. Today I am writing about my favourite coral lipstick from Rimmel, Coral in Gold. £4.50

It looks pretty scary, like a bright neon orange but it looks beautiful on the lips.

It is a shimmery coral orange with hints of gold. 

It is really moisturising and long wearing. It is very flattering to most skin tones and compliments alot of colours. 

I really recommend checking this colour out as it is so affordable and will jazz up any outfit during Spring.

Thanks for reading

xxxx

My Makeup Shopping List

If any of you watch my videos you will know I am currently working through project ten pan. A few days ago I finished up my fifth product and i'm half way through. I'll link my update video here. I have a little reward system where every time I finish up a product I put away a small amount of money in a little pot. Once I have used up the 10 items I will have a bit of spending money to treat myself to some new makeup goodies. 

Without further ado, here is my makeup shopping list...

1. CHANEL Soleil tan de CHANEL £29

This has been raved about for ages in the beauty world and I have never taken the plunge because it is so expensive. However, I really want to try it out and i've been saving for a while so I feel I can justify the purchase!

2. MAC Chatterbox lipstick £13.50

This was in my wishlist post and every time I browse through the MAC lipstick selection this one is always catching my eye. It is the most gorgeous pink that doesn't make you look like a barbie doll. I am really excited to try this out.

3.  Real Techniques Core Collection £21.99

I'm sure you all know Sam from pixiwoo. She came out with her own line of brushes and I have been wanting them for ages. Boots have finally started stocking them and I really want the core collection of face brushes. For £21.99 they are a great price so these will be near the top of my list.

4. Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer £10

This is the drugstore dupe for the much loved Bobbi Brown creamy concealer. It is basically a concealer compact with two shades of creamy concealer, a shade for under eyes and a shade for blemishes. It also has a translucent powder for the perfect finish. It has had pretty good reviews so far and for £10 it's a pretty good price. I will hopefully be purchasing this in the near future.

That's everything for now, I'm sure I will have more items added to my list before Project 10 Pan is finished. 

Please check out my youtube channel and subscribe if you like my videos, it would be great to see you :)

Thanks for reading

xxx

Pink Pout and Plum Seduction

Hi everyone, today i am going to be talking about two of my new favourite lip products.

The first one is Pink Pout by Revlon and it is a matte lipstick. This is is a gorgeous light pink with a lavender undertone . Despite having a matte finish it is very moisturising and applies very smoothly. It is very pigmented and lasts a long time. I have a few other colours from the matte collection but this one is my favourite as it is really wearable and would suit alot of skin tones. I really recommend checking this one out.

Next is Plum seduction from Loreal and it is one of their Glam Shine Volumizers that claim to last for 6 hours. The colour is a lovely deep purple with silver and blue shimmer. The photo is showing it to be a light purple brown but it is definitely more of a dark purple but still very wearable.

The consistency is very thick and slightly sticky. I tested out how long it lasted, I applied it at 8:30am and it had completely gone at 11am. It lasted for 2 1/2 hours. Despite not living up to its claims I really like this lipgloss and I would consider purchasing more colours.  

Thanks for reading

xxx

Valentines Day Discounts

Hi everyone,

Today I am going to be sharing my top discounts for Valentines Day. I personally feel the prices get ridiculously expensive so a saving or two would not go amiss.

1. 20% off at BarryM

Enter VAL20 at the checkout for your discount. 

Barry M has a great range of lip paints, nail polishes and dazzle dusts that are perfect for any ocassion so grab yourself a bargain.

2. 30% off at the BodyShop.

Enter VCFREE at the checkout for your discount.

The Body Shop have some gorgeous gift sets for any price range so you can treat yourself with 30% off.

3. 10% off at halfprice perfumes

Enter hpp10off at the checkout for your discount.

A perfume is always a great gift for valentines day and with an extra 10% off their discounted perfumes you're sure to snatch a bargain.

4. 20% off at Buyagift

Enter  VCVAL20 at the checkout for your discount.

Buyagift have a huge selection of gifts to choose from, with 20% off you're sure to find the perfect present.

5. 10% off orders over £30 at Hotelchocolate

Enter MVCSPR10 at the checkout for your discount.

If you're stuck finding a gift for someone, remember chocolate never fails. :)

I hope this has been helpful.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely Valentines Day,

xxx

Gel Nails: Worth the damage???

Hi everyone, If you've been reading my blog for a while you will know I got a full set of gel nails over christmas. You can read the original post here

They did look beautiful and I only paid £20 because there was an amazing deal however since they have gone my nails are pretty bad.....

There are a few ways to remove false nails at home.

1. Snap em off with your teeth. Bad for both your nails and teeth. Strongly don't recommend.

2. Wait for your own nail to grow and cut the false nail away as it grows. Good for the first few weeks but it looks a bit peculiar as it grows out.

3. Soak your nails in acetone based nail polish remover for an hour and they 'should' soak off.

The third step is what I opted for as to have them professionally removed was going to cost about £20. I watched loads of videos and read loads of blog posts. It looked easy but I was wrong. I soaked my nails for well over an hour and the gel didn't budge. However the top glossy layer had become coarse like sandpaper. After another half hour of soaking there was no improvement. 

I am sad to say, I snapped them off. 

This was terrible!!! It left small lumps of gel on my own nail which created an uneven surface. It also ripped the top layer of my own nail off in places which has weakened them a lot.

I then cut all my nails back really short to prevent even more damage and kept cutting them back as soon as they started to grow. After 3 weeks all the gel has finally gone but my nails are in bad condition. They are bendy and snapping right left and centre. 

To sum up my experience I would say pay to get them removed unless you have removed them at home yourself and know what you are doing. I will think twice about having them done again and will definitely pay to have them taken off.

However, they are lovely to have and for a special occasion i.e, wedding, birthday, Christmas it's a luxury treat. 

I hope this has been helpful and if you have any tips and tricks for removing false nails then please let me know.

Thanks for reading

xxx