Plasma 27 Bio-Lifting Cell Restoring Mask

I've tried a few products from Cosmetics 27 in the past and now I've had the opportunity to give the Plasma 27 Bio-Lifting Cell Restoring Mask a try. Read on for my review.

This face mask might make you look like something from American Horror Story but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in skin benefits.

The cloth mask is soaked (or impregnated if you prefer) in a super serum containing 100% natural ingredients that deliver lifting and firming effects to the complexion in the gentlest way.

The Plasma 27 Mask is even recommended for very sensitive skin and can be used following laser or peel treatments to calm down and soothe irritation.

I know there are a few cloth masks on the market but this was actually the first one I tried. To use, you just open the packet, take out the mask and unfold it, then 'mould' it to your face and neck and secure it in place with the pre-cut ear loops.

You then just lay back and relax for ten minutes or alternatively go door knocking  and frighten small children. 

You then remove the mask and massage in the excess serum.

My mum and I both tried the mask and each found that it did in fact leave our complexions rather glowy (?), smooth and wonderful- sort of like how your skin looks after and hour long facial, which is a pretty decent result considering it's a one-step ten minute treatment. Overall, we both enjoyed using the Plasma 27 Mask and agreed that it would be a lovely  treatment the night before an event. The mask has proved very popular with men too and is perfect to relieve signs of fatigue after a long flight or as a quick flash treatment before a special occasion.

The Plasma 27 Bio-Lifting Cell Restoring Mask is available from Harrods for £65 for a pack of 4

Balance Me Vintage Sale!

I've not tried a lot from Balance Me but I sure am keen to. If you are too, its worth noting that Balance Me are having a Vintage Sale in which you can get your hands on your favourite products in the original vintage packaging.
The sale starts on Sunday, August 24th so pop it in your diary and get saving! The sale will include exclusive beauty bundles at a massive 70% off so it's worth checking out if you're a Balance Me fan or you're curious about the brand.

I'm told there will savings aplenty in the sale and I'll be keeping an eye out for the Skin Confidence Collection that includes Pure Skin Facewash, Moisture Rich Face Cream and Anti-ageing Serum for £10 instead of £27.

If you're keen to grab a bargain on Sunday, you can find Balance Me here.
Happy Shopping :)

Why I Love NUXE UK

I first discovered the joys of NUXE back in 2012 after I received a Space NK voucher for my birthday. After much deliberation, swatching and pondering, I decided on a large bottle of NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR because it felt like a real treat - after all, a bottle of decadently shimmering, sparkly oil is not something I would usually spend my pennies on.

Since then, I've tried skincare, cosmetics, fragrance and even a candle from the French brand and they remain a firm favourite. I check out the NUXE section every time I'm in a Space NK store but more often than not I order online from NUXE UK.
Here's why:

The Website is very user friendly

NUXE UK is easy to navigate with detailed product descriptions, user reviews, tips and lists of active ingredients and what they do.

They often have gift with purchase deals, discounts and promotions

I don't think I've ever logged on to the site without being met with a sweet deal of some kind. The most recent offer was/is a free Fondant Shower Gel with purchases over £30. They also have a neat little Summer Travel Kit that includes 5 miniature products for £13.50.

You receive a free miniature and 3 samples with EVERY order!

It's true! What's more, you choose the miniature you would like, which is a very nice touch indeed and a great way of trying more from their ranges.

The Loyalty Programme

The Loyalty Programme works on a points system and you gain points every time you place an order. You earn 1 point for every pound spent and receive a £10 e-Coupon once you reach 100 points, a £25 pound coupon at 200 points and a £75 coupon at 500 points. Sure it may take a while to accumulate enough points but it's still a nice little incentive. As if you need one.

The delivery and packaging

Delivery is super quick (in my experience) and the products are so well packaged they could probably survive the reckoning. Some may say the packaging is a little too good (giant boxes with another box inside and those plastic pillow things) but at least you know your order will arrive in the best condition possible.

Obviously the products themselves are fantastic and reasonably priced but today I wanted to post about the website rather than the products. If you've not tried anything from NUXE before, you can read my review of the Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Face Cream Night here.

MAC Prep + Prime BB Compact Review

I have been absolutely loving the MAC Prep and Prime BB Compact this summer. From what I've read, this little compact has been subject to fairly mixed reviews so I was initially a little sceptical - I needn't have worried though because it now lives happily in my handbag and gets a lot of use.

The compact is a solid cream formula that 'illuminates' and evens the skin and leaves a semi-translucent finish - perfect for sunnier days when you just can't face a full on base. I ordered the MAC BB Compact online which is always a gamble when it comes to coloured bases, but I found a pretty decent match in the shade Light Plus. Though I should mention that I bought this a few months ago before my face caught the sun, so now a bit of bronzer is needed to warm things up.

MAC Prep + Prime BB Compact. The joys of photographing reflective surfaces are endless

I purchased the compact for a number of reasons. Firstly, I detest wearing foundation when it's hot outside so a light cover was exactly what I wanted. Secondly, I craved the convenience of a compact and thirdly, the BB cream is SPF 30 so my face is protected while it's made up.
I've got a couple of before and after pics below to give you an idea of the finish.

As you can (hopefully) tell from the pictures, the coverage is very sheer but it does kind of perk things up a bit. You can also see that the delightful spot on my forehead is slightly less noticeable in the second image. I also have to mention that I have no bronzer or blush on, just the BB, so this is a somewhat more ghostly look than what I would usually go for!
In terms of staying power, the MAC BB Compact makes no bold claims but I find that it lasts a good few hours in the humid heat we've been getting and I'd imagine it would perform pretty well as a primer too if you wanted to wear foundation over the top.

The compact is available in 12 shades from Dark Deep to Extra Light so most people should be able to find a pretty close match.
RRP £24.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock Gel Liner Review

It seems that people have been loving and loathing the Benefit Push Up Liner in equal measure so I figured, rather than risk spending the big money on something that might not work for me I'd try the more affordable drugstore version.

I've used the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner (the one in the pot) before but found I'm not disciplined enough to clean the little brush after every use and let's just say that things got a little ... crusty.
I absolutely loved the gel formula though so I was pretty stoked when I saw that Maybelline had come out with another gel liner - this time with the gel built in to a handy twist up pen. The lazy liner enthusiast's dream, surely?

Well at the risk of sounding like the cheesiest of the cheeses, this stuff kind of is a dream. To use the Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Shock Gel Liner, you just twist the bottom of the pen (multiple times on first use) until a small amount of the gel appears at the end. Then, with the help of the little nib on the end, you simply line the eyes like you would with a regular pen eyeliner. The gel goes on smoothly and dries pretty quickly so my advice is to clean up any smudges asap!

The result is a gorgeously dark, opaque liner look that has pretty decent staying power overall, though I have slightly sunken eyes so I did end up with some transfer that needed checking every few hours. It's worth mentioning that I wore this all day on the hottest day of the year so far and didn't end up with this half way down my face. A bonus indeed.

If you haven't picked this up already (why not?!) you can do so at Superdrug, Boots and anywhere else that sells Maybelline. RRP £8.99