Review - Olay daily facials express soothing wet cleansing wipes: sensitive skin

    In my February beauty buys I had mentioned that I would be writing some reviews on the  packets of face wipes I had purchased. In the grand scheme of beauty, hair and makeup, face wipes/makeup remover wipes don't come ranked highly on the scale of exciting things to review. However I do believe that face wipes are great, and do serve a purpose. They are useful for removing makeup, refreshing the skin and even for travelling, since they remove the need for packing bottles of face products. At the end of a long day of work whether you have worn makeup or not, I recommend a quick once over with w face wipe, just to cleanse the skin and get rid of the grime of the day. Plus they are guy friendly, excellent for throwing in the gym bag to freshen up. 

What Olay says: 

Olay daily facials express soothing wet cleansing wipes Go beyond effective cleansing to help soothe and nourish sensitive skin.

Olay's velvety smooth wipes have a lift and lock technology to gently sweep away dirt , makeup, and waterproof mascara.

At the same time Olay's conditioners help to enhance your skin's natural moisture.

What I say: Skin Type -Oily, Cleansing Routine - Twice daily. 

    These face wipes worked well enough. They removed my makeup, but not to the point where I would feel comfortable going to sleep without washing my face. The wipes have little bubbled bits which remind me of quilted tissues, I did like the texture. In my opinion the texture, gave a little friction against the skin and aided the makeup removal process.  They left a film on my face which I gather is from the glycerin (the second ingredient). Glycerin is widely used as a moisturizing agent, since I have oily skin, it did my no harm but did me no favours. They do say that all you need is one wiped to cleanse your face/neck/eye area. however most of the times I used these face wipes I was wearing full makeup, I used 2 wipes usually and then washed my face, or but there were times when I used 3 wipes. I do like the fact that they were gentle on my skin and left my skin feeling semi clean but no stripped like some face wipes do. They were not abrasive nor did I have to scrub at my face to get my makeup off. 

These wipes retail for £2.96, 20 wipes come in each packet. All in all they are relatively cheap compared to others on the market, however you do get less product. 

-Would I repurchase?  Yes if it was on sale and all the other face wipes were full priced. 

-Would I ever purchase at full price?  No. 

-Would I recommend?  Yes, for the purpose of makeup removal ONLY.

xoxo

Miss Mai

Review - The Body Shop White Musk Blush eau de toilette

     
   The White Musk line from The Body Shop is one of their most popular fragrances, one would even describe it as timeless or iconic. For the last few years The Body Shop has released a limited edition version of the White Musk fragrance during the summer months.This summer fragrance is usually a lighter, fresh version of the original fragrance.  First there was  "White Musk White hot Summer" (loved this fragrance thought it did remind me of the Escada Rockin' Rio) and then there was "White Musk Breeze" (the name still cracks me up. lol) 

      Summer 2011 they released White Musk Blush, this line came with 4 products. A shower gel, a body lotion, a body mist and the finale an eau de toilette.The smell is described by The Body Shop as a flowery fragrance. I found it especially light and fresh, not too heavy a hint of flowers as well as citrus, a true summer fragrance. Though the fragrance is light, with the accompanying products it is very easy to layer the fragrance. My procedure when layering fragrance is as follows; bathe with the shower gel, spray the body mist/perfume/eau de toilette, then apply the body lotion to lock the fragrance in. I received this as a gift, so I did not purchase it, however it usually retails for £9. 

The Body Shop White Musk Blush is available  online now on sale as well  in stores. I definitely recommend if you are a fan of light fresh fragrances. 


xoxo
Miss Mai 

Tea For One

Legend has it that in 2737 bc that scholar and herbalist Emperor Shen Nung discovered the magic of tea whilst sipping water under a wild tree. As he sat,  a drift of leaves floated into his cup from above.

He sipped , he thought and he discovered... much like the tea drinkers of today. 

     In a time where getting together with your girlfriends is more likely reflected in the writings of Candace Bushell than the writings of Jane Austen. The "girly" get together is still more important than ever, with ever evolving lives, we still seek solace in those we hold dear and near to our hearts. Though alcohol may loosen the tongue, should advice given not be from a sober mind? Today I thought back to a simpler time when tea was accompanied by fine china, cupcakes, tea cakes, finger foods and mini sandwiches. Ladies (and gentlemen if we must include the blighters) dressed in soft fabrics and pastels. We often talk about power lunches and fine wine, but what about the calming sensations of some Lady Grey or Chamomile, the invigorating aroma of some Lemon and ginger, the chuckle to yourself as you sip on some Chai* tea. 

     Ladies its Spring time and though we have swapped our kid slippers for high heels, our pastel dresses and parasols for blazers and and power suits tea time is still important. Round up the girls, put on your pastels, ballet flats or high heels if you wish and share a cuppa and a tea cake.

     Yes I do live in England  and yes I do drink copious amounts of tea. I have even been known to pack a box or two of Tetley tea into my bags to tide me over during my summer vacation home to Antigua.  It is in this spirit that one of my lovely aunts, gifted me with a China tea set for Christmas a few years ago. 

  

Tea pot - view from the top

 Tea is served

Enjoy!! 

Teapot - Laura Ashley fine bone china 

Teacup - Laura Ashley fine bone china 

Saucer - Laura Ashley fine bone china 

Cake - Lemon sponge with white icing and lemon drizzle

Tea - Tetley's Green tea with Lemon

T. M. Lewin White shirt sale

    Last week I tweeted  my favourite shirt makers @tmlewin1898, and insisted that they should have a white shirt sale, since it is spring/summer. They replied that "they will discuss and see if it is feasible."  This morning  bespoke shirt makers since 1898 T. M. Lewin announced that they are having a white shirt sale for 1 week only online. Not only is this white 
shirt sale going on the UK website, but also on their US, AUS and EU websites. 

     As everyone knows the white shirt is an investment piece, a KEY part of any professional wardrobe. Fashionistas  you are not left out, shirts such as the one below can be styled as part of a casual or formal look. A classic white shirt is always stylish. 

     T. M. Lewin shirts are made with the finest quality poplin, are always 100% or 120% cotton (no polyester blends here). The buttons are sewn with 2 threads, to make sure that they hold and do not easily pop off the garment. They iron well, they wear well and they wash very well.

My shirt of choice is the White Plain Poplin Cutaway Fitted shirt 38171. I am now the proud owner of 2 of them.  Head on over to the T.M. Lewin website and check out the white shirt sale along with their other offerings. T. M. Lewin Remember the White shirt sale is only available for 1 week only. 

"Fashion comes and goes, but style is forever." Yves St Laurent.

Review - REN clean skincare F10 Smooth and Renew Mask: a review

        I have oily skin, and in recent years, I have been plagued with blemishes and residual  scarring left from pimples. In October 2011 I broke out with a bout of Cystic acne which took weeks to clear up and left my  entire left cheek very scarred. I have been  on a little kick lately trying out some chemical exfoliants  and I must say they have been working really really well.  The REN clean skincare F10 Smooth and Renew Mask  was originally intended for use by my roomate. She has sensitive skin and wasn't really a fan of the orange peel ( a signal that this mask was full of vitamin C, a key ingredient in most scar reducing lotions and potions ) smell so she passed it to me.  I decided to try this on my oily skin, this mask bless its soul is intended for use by persons who suffer from sensitive skin. None the less it is a chemical exfoliant and I decided to try it and do a review. 

Application - how to use:Apply a generous amount to clean skin. Leave for 10 minutes, Dampen enclosed cloth and gently wipe off mask. Rinse skin with warm  (not hot) water.  

The product has a viscous texture similar to honey, it spreads well and evenly for the most part. The instructions said to leave it on for 10 minutes, I left it on for 30 minutes plus the time I took to walk downstairs and put a load of clothes in the washing machine.  During the time it was on my face, it was quite pleasant, it "dried" a bit, but was till soft to the touch. Removal was quite easy as well, I dipped a muslin cloth in warm/emphasis on cool water and removed from the left cheek (since I applied it there first) my forehead (which is recovering from an allergic reaction to the new Lancome Tient Idole foundation,), the right cheek, then chin/jaw area. 

The results -  my skin felt very smooth to the touch, after I had patted my face dry and allowed the excess moisture to dry. It was not tight nor ashy. There was no crusting or flaking in the areas on my face where my allergic reaction is healing. 

Cons -The size of REN skincare sample products. If you were to get this in a sample size at a counter I would advise that you secure at least 3 of them. REN skincare samples come in 5ml sizes which is only enough for 1 application. I am a firm believer that with skincare/makeup products you need to try them at least 1 - 3 times before you can form a valid hypothesis on whether or not your skin will react. 

The price - A 50ml bottle of this retails for £20.  Yes I know I know £20 to some persons is  relatively alot of money for 1 single item. However it is 2012 and if you want to the good stuff you HAVE to suck it up and pay the money.

Pros - This stuff is great, it makes your skin super smooth and clearer (it actually does).  You do not need to be scraping your face and worrying about getting in the cracks of your nose and hairline as one would usually do with manual exfoliators. It comes with a PUMP, so that just extended the life of the product by 50%. I used 1.5 pumps when I did my treatment. So long run when you look at it you would only purchase this item ONCE a year. 

would i purchase? - yes
would i recommend? - yes
would i buy full priced? - yes