February Empties

Hey guys, I haven't posted anything new things in a while, since I have been doing a fair bit of travelling (not finished yet) and also been busy at work. Time just gets away from me sometimes. 

I had a little time where I was searching for inspiration (which never came) so I just decided to go with it. I took these pictures at the beginning of February but kept putting off posting, I know , I know procrastination, procrastination. 

Without further ado here are my February Empties. 

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while, will know that that this has been my staple leave in conditioner for a long time (due to the fact it was such a huge bottle). It worked well for me, even though the formula was intended for fine hair (of course my hair is thick like no ones business). I will miss it because I used it for such a long time, however I am looking forward to trying other things. I already have a bottle of L'oreal leave in conditioner and also a bottle of the Mane n Tail Leave in conditioner (thanks dannie) waiting in the wings. 

I like choice when it comes to shower gels/body washes, I try to keep two in rotation at a time in the shower. Imperial Leather Peony & Raspberry this shower gel smells amazing and  gave such good lather. Right Guard shower gel + lotion it did what it says on the tin, my skin was not dry or overly stripped after I finished bathing. It reminded me of a body cream. Both of these I would repurchase. 

Garnier Ultry dry 48 hour none stop protection (yada yada yada) my armpits were dry all day I have no complaints. Garnier is one of those company's that keep making great products, in my opinion. Soft n Gentle Orchid & Passion flower deodorant - it smelled nice, I would not repurchase. 

I picked this up by chance. To my surprise I liked it. It kept my skin moisturised but was not overly heavy. The texture is lighter than the original formula but not by much. 

                        

Colgate 360 Toothbrush head, I made the switch to an electronic toothbrush about 2 years ago and it has made the world of difference for the health of my gums.Tooth Health is important guys 

Be safe 

my lovelies 

Winter Skincare Series - Body Butters

       It is here the frostier months of which I spoke last week have arrived full force. customers are now including de-icer in their week grocery purchases. The first snow fell can you believe that!!!!!! Christmas decorations, gifts, foods, and various other paraphernalia are on sale stacked high in every possible space. During winter I prefer to use a thicker moisturiser on my body, the other lotions and body creams just do't seem to cut it when battling lower level of hydration, central heating, layered clothing and the overall winter climate. Below are some of the body butters which are currently in my winter skincare arsenal

      My body butters of choice used to be from the Body Shop however regular everyday brands such as Vaseline, Palmers and Jergens have all stepped up and included the heavier moisturiser as a part of their product ranges. These everyday brands of course are accompanied with pocket friendly price tags. However do not be fooled The Jergens body butter is truly one to be reckoned with followed by the Vaseline Cocoa Butter body butter, the Palmers body butters come up third but they are still in the running. The thicker formulas of body butters keep my skin well moisturised and feeling supple all day during the winter months.  

Texture is an important factor for some when choosing a body butter. The Body Shop Body butters are   the thickest out of all of these, followed closely by the Vaseline body butter, next in line is the Jergens, then the L'Occitane and last the Palmers body butters. 

       The Palmers body butters come in three varieties Shea, Cocoa and Olive butters, The body Shop body butters are available in over 12 different scents, including, Strawberry, Orange, Blueberry, Moringa, Lemon. Scent is another factor to consider when choosing a body butter. I quite like to use the fruity scents on the weekends and the neutral scents such as Shea, Cocoa Butter, Jergens oatmeal during the week. Some persons are sensitive to strong scents and the body shop body butters are definite strongly scented. Other maybe like my friend Darren, who banned me from wearing fruity scented Body Butters to lectures because they made him hungry. lol (uni memories)

Price 
Palmers Body Butters - £4.99 per 200ml
Vaseline Body Butter - £5.06 per 200ml
Jergens Body Butters - £4.99 per 200ml
Body Shop Body Butter - £13 per 200ml (Shea and Satsuma both gifts)
L'occitane Ultra rich body Cream - £16 per 100ml (Apricot & Vineyard rose purchased in the summer sale for £4.80 each)

Both the Vaseline and the Jergens body butters are currently on offer at Superdrug.

Miss Mai
xx

Part 1 of my Winter skincare series - Shower Creams post Click 

Wash Day - Last wash before Relaxer Day!!!!!

If you have been following me on "twidder" @Rebelle01, you would have realised that there has been a count down to relaxer day going on for the last 2 months. Relaxer day is now merely 6 days away and I am going to be doing a Protein treatment on my hair. 

This Protein treatment is the bomb.com yes I know when looking for protein treatments one would not necessarily think Palmers aka the Cocoa Butter people, but I am telling youuuuuuuuuuu this (J-Hud singing voice) If you have never tried this you should at least once. I have never reviewed it because though I consider it my number 1 protein treatment, I cannot get it in a steady supply. I usuaully get it from a local shop in my area but at times they sell out. So its little out of the way places that I usually  find it. One time my roomie found it on one of her jaunts and bought me 2. This is a hard protein treatment so I do not recommend use more than once a month and definitely follow up with a moisturising conditioner. 

My shampoo I will be using is the Giovanni 50/50 Balancing shampoo, this is a great organic shampoo, it cleanses gently but does not strip the hair. I also like the fact that it is not overly hydrating. My hair does not work well with hydrating products at all. 

My follow up conditioner for after the protein treatment will be The Garnier Fructis Hair Recovery Conditioner. This is not even available in the UK (sad face) so when this bottle is finished that will be the end of it for me. But this is a great moisturising conditioner to follow up the  protein treatment. 

Thanks for reading..........xx 

My Winter Beauty Essentials

     Hello there I thought with the weather turning you guys would be interested to see what items I think are vital to me at the moment. It is a mixture of products some skincare, others are bodycare and some makeup. 

Nivea Essential Care lip balm  (the one with the dark blue cover) - the first item on the list is a lip product, with the weather so dry at the moment, lips are so easy to get chapped. I have been purchasing this for over 10 years. It is an oldie but a goodie, plus it's recession proof (aka very affordable). It is such a good product for me to quickly put on my lips to keep them moisturized and it is small so I can easily put in it in my handbag or my cosmetics case/makeup bag.

Palmers Shea Body Butter - this is another product which is very winter proof and recession proof, with the central heating and the cold air outside, I have been using this to keep my skin supple and away from  *the ash*.

Purell Hygienic Hand Rub - winter is the feeding ground for colds and flu, I have been using this hand sanitiser to keep myself germ free.what I love about the Purell sanitiser compared to others on the market, is the fact that it does not dry out your hands. 

Lotus Olbas oil Vapour Release Tissues - *whatyouknowaboutthat* yes its winter so runny noses come with the territory. I have been using these tissues to keep my nose dry, but also to keep my sinus passage clear. These tissues have been sprayed with tiny capsules of Olbas oil, so when I am going to use them I just crush the tissues up to release the oil vapour. Then I breathe in the vapours as I blow my nose.

 Boots Anti -Viral Tissues -  they claim to kill 99% of the cold and flu virus, cannot hurt I use them interchangeably with the Olbas oil tissues. Essential for the random runny nose.

Wet ones Be zingy Antibacterial Wipes - these are great, the original wet wipes, I use them on my hands, face or body as needed, and the citrus scent is great for the winter when everything is so blah. 

Shower Creams -  now I know that there is a great debate going on regarding shower gel and if it gets your body as clean as soap does. However I love shower gels/body washes.  For the winter I have been loving shower creams, shower creams are like shower gels/body washes but they have in more moisturizers and less sulphates ( the ingredient that causes the bubbles/lather). Products which contain less or no sulphates are less drying on the skin. The ones that I have been using are Original source Shea Butter and Honey shower cream (I have gone through 2 bottles already), Original source Vanilla and Raspberry shower cream ( this smells good enough to eat, reminds me of cupcake toppings), The Body Shop Shea shower cream, and The Body Shop Coconut shower cream.

Soap and Glory Some like it hot body softening Thermal Scrub - its an exfoliator, with all these layers upon layers, I make sure to keep my skin smooth by exfoliating twice a week. 

 Cowshed Cowslip soothing hand cream - Got to keep away the ash, I use this hand cream to keep my hands moisturized. As you know the hands are the first to show signs of aging , I am keeping them looking as young as possible for as long as possible. lol

xx

Miss Mai

How to get radiant glowing skin.....

     First of all getting that lovely summer glow depends on having clean skin and also a good skincare routine. A good idea would be to exfoliate skin twice a week. For the face I recommend Sundays and Thursdays that way you are ready for the week ahead and also ready for the weekend.  A good exfoliator is the St Ives microdermabrasion scrub. It contains very fine particles so it is not very harsh on the skin, yet when you are finished exfoliating your skin feels very very very smooth.

      A little goes a long way, you should only be using an amount that is about the same as the size of the nail on your pinky ( small finger). Following the exfoliating a clay mask twice a week would definitely help by drawing out the impurities from deep within your skin. This will help to shrink large pores and eventually if you are acne prone less pimples. (This is for girls, boys, men and women equal opportunity, we want everyone to be looking and feeling their best)

     The same with your body exfoliating is a must, here I recommend exfoliating gloves these are everywhere but if you don't know what constitutes everywhere pick some up at your nearest Body shop. http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/catalog/product.aspx?ParentCatCode=C_BathBody&CatCode=C_BathBody_Accessories&prdcode=81991m They come in a variety of colours so guys you can get in on this. These are lovely you just put them on squeeze some shower gel or body wash on them and massage your skin in circular motions, they are gentle enough to be used everyday and pretty much all over stomach, thighs, heels, elbows literally everywhere. if you are a couple you can have a lovely bonding experience scrubbing those hard to reach places for each other, wink wink,-----------> "you scrub my back and i'll scrub yours." 

Sidenote -  the best products in the world will do nothing for your skin if you are not on a regular, healthy diet, and keeping your body well hydrated. Fried potato chips, sodas, and alcoholic beverages in copious amounts are not good for your skin. Fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and water all contain great skin nourishing properties. 

Shopping list 

Palmers Cocoa Butter formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion : Gradual tanning moisturiser - this can be used as an everyday body lotion it gives slight bronzed look which is very lovely when the sunshine bounces off of it. 

Superdrug Vitamin E Shimmer Body Lotion - this is a moisturiser which contains body shimmer, excellent for giving your body a nice glow. Also this can be used to highlight specific areas, such as the décolletage, shoulders, arms, legs any specific area which you want to show off. The Superdrug vitamin E shimmer lotion is Tres fab, especially if you put some fake tan on underneath it. What I do is if I have an event coming up I will apply the palmers natural bronze body lotion for a few days before the event and then the day or night of the event I will apply the shimmer lotion on top…………the combo is positively amazing. 

Sidenote - The Body Shop also has a Coconut shimmer body lotion. I recommend that 4 friends/sisters split the cost of purchase, divide it into four equal sections. These four sections can be held in a small container with a cover until the shimmer lotion finishes. Remember a little goes a long way. 

Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan makeup in medium shimmer - This is a fake tan and body shimmer 2 in 1 product makes your body look great, excellent for nights at the club which you are wearing shorts rub this on your legs wait 10 minutes so that it dries COMPLETELY and then put on your clothes. 

L'Oreal Paris Glam Bronze Bronzing power Long Lasting - SPF10 - Bronzing powder great for use as a blush to give your cheek bones a bit of oomph. Can be used to create a contour effect on paler skintones. 

M.A.C. Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Trace gold -  excellent highlighter for cheeks and eyes, can be worn as an eye shadow if you so desire. 

MAC -Trace Gold Blush

"That Gal" Brightening Face Primer by Benefit - great primer makes your face look lovely when makeup is applied over it. 

Sleek Blush in Sunrise -   a hint of pink colour and a wash of shimmery goodness, looks great when accompanied by a smile, great everyday blush, especially if you work in an office or a corporate setting. Apply with a light hand a little goes a long way, take care not to put it on the apples of your cheeks. Lovely on darker skin tones, as well as lighter skin tones. 

Sleek Blush in Coral - a hint of coral (peachy orange) colour and a wash of shimmery goodness, looks great when accompanied by a smile, great everyday blush, especially if you work in an office or a corporate setting, also great for lunch with your girlfriends or just to a casual party setting. Apply with a light hand a little goes a long way, take care not to put it on the apples of your cheeks.

M.A.C. Mineralize skin finish natural in Deep Dark -  everyday face powder, with SUBTLE shimmer great for wearing to work if you do not want to wear foundation, a bit of this, some coral blush, mascara and you are ready for the day. Looks amazing on skin.  

My well loved MAC MSF Natural in DEEP DARK 

Eye Pen by H&M in Bronze -  great for giving your eyes a bit of colour.

Urban Decay  24/7 Glide on Eye pencil in Lucky -  great for giving eyes a hint of colour, excellent staying power.

get to glowing

Products I can't live without: Beauty Basics Edition

The everyday essentials that keep me looking great, feeling good and well preserved. lol

Radox shower smoothie - this particular one has in guarana and some other citrus smelling entities which is great for those mornings when I need a bit of zing to wake me up. Radox is a great cosmetic brand here in the UK. It is not too expensive but they make great products and quality is never compromised.

Palmers cocoas butter lotion - old faithful it has been especially great this winter period, because this cold has been on another level. The other fru fru lotions had to "get gone," like that guy in the irreplaceable video.

Elizabth Arden Red Door Revealed - this is my ode to Valentines day. Since I am single I decided that I am going to celebrate Valentines for the whole month of  february by wearing my valentines perfume all month. This is a really light, fresh scent, be careful not to spray too much though, it can get a bit cloying.

Secret invisible solid - It is invisible when your armpits are hairless, works well overall my go to everyday deodorant.

Seaweed toner, facewash and night lotion -  from the body shop. works really well a little goes a long way with these products so a light hand is necessary to get the most for your money. really good if you have oily skin.

St Ives apricot scrub for oily blemished skin -  I bought it, I use it, I dont like it, but I'm going to finish it because I paid for it.

Vitamin E face mask from the body shop - face sex in a jar, love this stuff. I apply it all over my face, then shower, come out of shower, rinse it off,  cleanse, tone, moisturise and I'm good to go. Again a little goes a long way with this stuff I have had this jar for over a year and I use it on my face twice a week like its my religion.

Nivea oil free mattifying day lotion -  works really really really really well. don't sleep on Nivea producs especially the lip balms and the body lotions. They are so good its stupid the lil bit of money they cost.

Side note - I decant my toner into a spray bottle, it lasts alot longer, compared to pouring it out directly from the flip cap.

Water -  I drink at least 1 litre of water a day.

Cod liver oil -  Two tablets a day

Vitamin c tablets -  I drink one of these every other day.

Fossil Watch -  I believe grown ups need to wear watches, checking the time on your phone is for teenagers.

Thomas Sabo - Charm bracelet with star charm

Links of London  - Sweetie Charm bracelet with clover charm (love me love me not collection)

Silver studs

And there you have it those are my everyday go to products. 

xx