BEAUTY | BD TRADE SECRET PRIMER AND FOUNDATION REVIEW

I've never been one for supermarket make up, except for when I was 16 and a 'punk' and Mary Kate and Ashley released a great range of glitter eye-liners. I've heard good things about Tesco's beauty offering 'BD Secrets' and thought I'd try out their primer and mattifying foundation. I'll be honest I was pleasantly surprised!

Bd Trade Secrets Luminescence Silk Primer, £9.99
I'm used to using either the Smashbox or Bare Mineral primers, both are a gel type texture, which can leave my skin quite oily and takes a while to soak into my skin. The BD Trade Secrets primer is not like this at all, it has a much more fluid texture, which means that it is easier to apply and soaks in a lot faster so I can move on to the foundation stage more quickly.

I have tried the primer with a Rimmel Foundation (to be objective) and found that the foundation applied smoothly and evenly. As well as prolonged the stay power of my foundation compared to when I hadn't used primer.

At first I thought £9.99 was a lot for a primer from Tesco, but considering the size of the bottle and how little you will need to use you actually get a fair bit of bang for your buck.

Bd Trade Secrets Mattifying Base Oil Free Foundation, £8.99
When it comes to foundation I usually shy away from matte, preferring a more luminescent glow, however I wanted a bit of a change for my day to day look. I find as a whole matte foundation can be a bit two dimension and not great on some skin types and applying them can be tricky. Despite that I like the way the matte foundation looked, especially once I'd completed the look.

This foundation is again more fluid than I am used to, but I found that while applying it this meant that I didn't get the brush stroke marks that I sometimes get with others. You  don't need much foundation, literally one pump gave good coverage, any more and I found that I started looking a bit jaundice.

I think £8.99 is a reasonable price for the product,  it definitely is on par with the usual brands like Rimmel and No. 7.

Have you had any beauty product surprises?

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BEAUTY | Mudd Sea Mask - My Go To Face Mask

I don't know why I always pull such a gormless face... very unattractive! Anyway, in prep for the wedding I went to at the weekend I decided to use a face mask. I always use face masks a week or so before a big occasion to minimise the risk of spots that might appear as a result of using the mask.

I've been using the Mudd Hydrating Sea Clay Formula Mask  since I was in my teens, it is a deep pore cleansing mask that also hydrates. It contains marine protein, minerals and vitamins that combine with the pure clay to absorb excess oil and dirt, it also uses kelp, seaweed and Irish moss to hydrate the skin. 

Before applying the mask I soaked my face with warm, moist cloth and then blotted dry before applying to my entire face (except my eyes) and leaving on for 10-15minutes. The clay dries and stiffens up. To remove gut wet another cloth and gently wipe off. The mask always leaves my skin feeling really fresh and not all tight like other mask do, it's also really easy to remove! 

I really love this mask but I think I'm going to look into making my own! If you know of any good recipes let me know!

Love Lilla xx

HAIR | Dove Radiance Challenge Week 3 Overview

Here are my five photos from week 3 of the Dove Radiance Challenge. My colour has only really started fading the last few days and I think it's only really noticeable to me. The lighter bits at the ends are definitely not as subtle now, but I quite like it. They are still less harsh than they were to began with.

My scalp is starting to take a dislike to the shampoo, this is common for me and to be honest I'm surprised it's taken so long to show a reaction! I'm really pleased with the condition my hair is in and how well the colour has lasted. On to the final week now!

Love Lilla xx

BEAUTY | Argan Oil - Whats the deal?

Argan oil, also known as Moroccan oil is an organic oil pressed from the seeds of fruit from Morrocco's Argan tree. Traditionally used as a cooking oil, in recent years it has been exported as a treatment for skin and hair problems such as acne, dry skin and damaged hair.

When I was doing #30daysnoheat, Argan oil seemed to be hailed as a magic cure for my damaged locks. Since completing the challenge and making a few changes (using a natural bristle brush, detergent free shampoo, heat protection spray, condition mask and using my straighteners less) my hair is in incredible condition. I don't have the problem, where my scalp would be dry, roots greasy and ends dry and frayed.
Taking all of this in to consideration, I thought it was about time I saw what all the fuss was about.

I tried two types of oil one for my hair and one for my skin (Argan oil is high in vitamin E, so I am hoping it will help improve the appearance of a scar i have on my forehead.).

The first one I tried was Rodin olio lusso Rodin by Recine Luxury Hair Oil. My main concern was that the oil would make my hair greasy so I applied a few drops to damp hair and then styled it. My hair was definitely softer and shinier. I also found that putting a few drops on to the ends of dry hair seems to bring it back to life! But be careful about how much you use, I rub it into my palms and then through my hair.

You can buy the Rodin by Recine Luxury Hair Oil on their website for $65.

For my skin I tested the Kahina-Giving Beauty's 100% Organic Kahina Argan Oil, which is described as being rich in Vitamin E and antioxidants. Again when using the oil on my skin I was worried about my skin appearing really greasy as a result, but the oil is absorbs very quickly and left my skin feeling smooth and soft. Not only did I notice my skin was more even than before, but I noticed that the spots that I sometimes get near my hairline have more or less vanished.

This product can also be used for your hair, but I found it was a tad heavy for my thin locks, my OH on the other hand found that it absorbed perfectly into his thicker mop.

This oil can be purchased from the above website and ranges in price from $36-$82 for 30ml-100ml or from Beauty Works West for £74.

The oil may seem expensive but it is well worth the investment and when you consider how little you will use each time the product will last for ages!

BEAUTY | HD Brows, my beauty obsession.

Eyebrows are sensitive issues for me, I’m part Iranian so unwanted body hair is a constant battle! I grew up with luscious thick eyebrows; they were a bit too thick but nothing that a good threading couldn’t have dealt with. Unfortunately in my youthful ignorance I hated my eyebrows and wished to have thin eyebrows like all my British friends. In my eyes they were just giant furry caterpillars conquering my forehead, this unhealthy view and compulsive need to fit in with my friends lead to an over-plucking frenzy from which my brows would take a decade to recover! To be fair I never sported the pencil thin brows, but their thickness and natural shape completely disappeared.

In 2009 I embarked on a mission to be happier and change my life. After spending 2009/2010 focusing on a career change and learning to drive, 2011 became the start of my ‘taking care of me’ phase. I was working for a celebrity management company, who were managing Elen Rivas at the time, and I fell in love with her eyebrows. I decided this was one of my new wants! After a considerable amount of Googling, I came across HD Brows!

I immediately booked an appointment with my local HD Brow stylist using their very helpful salon finder! Filled with excitement I went along to my appointment but still had my doubts about whether they would be able to fix my eyebrows or if I could achieve the look I wanted! After sitting in the chair for close to an hour, I was definitely not disappointed. The lady doing my eyebrows did a fantastic job, and then showed me where I needed to grow in sections and how to use powder to achieve the look I wanted. Results are below:

Before (not the best picture I know but you can get an idea of how sparse they were):

After:

The lady who did my eyebrows also recommended the HD Brow ‘Grow Baby Grow’ which is a herbal liquid that you can paint on to over plucked brows (and can be used on your eyelashes) to help stimulate growth. I have now been using this product for nearly 2 months and the improvement in my brows is unbelievable, I honestly never thought that they would grow back as much as they have!

Since discovering HD Brows I have recommended the treatment to numerous friends who have all had the treatment and been ecstatic. My mum could not believe my eyebrow re-growth either and has now started using Grow Baby Grow as a result!

BEAUTY | Nip + Fab Sheer Make-Up Fix- Make-up bag must!

I first got hold of NIP+FAB Sheer Make-Up Fix in October, and since trying it, it has become a make up bag must for me!

The Sheer Make-up fix  is a fantastic product that helps to even out your skin tone and texture. It can be used by itself for a natural look or under make up as a primer.

Sheer Make-Up fix is an easy to apply, citrus smelling gel that soaks into your skin easily so that you can apply your make up almost immediately if you want to. The gel instantly works on your skin so it feel velvety soft and ultra smooth.

As I've previously said, it can be used with or without make up, but if used as a primer my make up stays in place more or less all day with no smudging or wearing away and helps your skin look flawless! Since I've been using it i have had endless comments on how great my skin looks.

Previous to using this, I had never used a primer, but now I am a firm believer in primer!

. This may seem steep but the product last for ages!