Cover FX Eye Prep FX

Cover FX is a US brand and a favourite amongst professional make up artists.  Cover FX Eye Prep FX makes some pretty amazing claims and I was more than happy to put it through it's paces.

It claims to Reduce dark circles and puffiness, tighten and firm instantly using Peptide Flash Complex, detoxify and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

This product is described as a silicone free multi tasking primer, to be worn alone or under make up.  An instant eye smoothing primer that binds concealer and eye shadows to the lids and eye area for even and long lasting wear.

It claims to hydrate, rejuvenate, firm and increase circulation.

This is a gel/cream consistency and only a small amount is needed to cover the eyelid and under eye area.  This feels more like a refreshing eye cream than a primer, I guess that is because of the lack of silicone in the product.  As the skin under my eye is quite dry I applied this on top of my normal eye cream.  After 10 minutes my eye area looked a little fresher but there was no marked difference on my lines under my eyes and my dark circles still looked the same.  The biggest difference I noticed was on my eyelids.  Now if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am obsessed by my eyelid crinkles, they drive me mad and prevent me from wearing certain types of eye shadows.  After using Cover FX Eye Prep FX my eyelids were visibly smoother.

I then applied my make up.  My under eye concealer looked much smoother than usual and after application my under eye lines were definitely less visible.  My eye shadow and eye liner applied like a dream, I haven't had such smooth looking eyelids for around 10 years.

Here is a list of the ingredients:-

Source

Aqua, Glycerin, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Squalane, Acrylates Copolymer, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Acrylic Acid/VP Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Capryly Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Lauryl Alcohol, Lecithin, Myristyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, PVP/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester, Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein PG-Propyl Methylsilanediol, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

I have no idea what the long term benefits of using this product are or even if there are any.  It is, however, recommended for sensitive eyes as it does not contain any silicone.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the results of this product.  If you have no worries with your eye area (ie if you are young) then this product is probably not for you.  If like me then you are obsessed with your eye area then this is a product that you may consider investing in.  Now, I say 'investing' because this product does not come cheap.  The RRP is £42.00 for 20ml.  I know that this is more than I would normally pay for an eye cream, let alone a primer, but I have to say that you can't put a price on confidence, I have obsessed over my eyelids for a long time and nothing I have tried has helped as much as this product.

Cover FX Eye Prep FX is available at House of Fraser where it is currently on offer for £37.80  and some Harvey Nichols stores.

*PR Sample

Dove Damage Therapy Colour Radiance Hair Care Range

I have been using some of the Dove body range products for several years but I have never tried the Dove Hair Care Range.  I was sent several products from the Damage Therapy Colour Radiance range to try and I have to say I have been very impressed with them.

First up is the shampoo.  I love the fragrance of the Dove products, so I was pleased that the hair care range has the same smell as the body products.  This shampoo feels very thick and luxurious, it lathers really well, so well in fact that I have had to revise how much product I use.  After rinsing the shampoo away, my hair felt really clean and incredibly soft, I'm sure that I could've got away without using conditioner as my hair felt so smooth.

After the smoothness achieved by just using the shampoo I was concerned that conditioner would be too rich and weigh down my already fine hair.  I did not need to be concerned as the conditioner is a lovely lightweight conditioner, it has the signature dove fragrance and rinsed out of my hair with ease.

I then rough dried my hair and set about straightening it using the Dove Heat Defence.  I pinned up my hair and then spayed the heat defence onto the section of hair that I was using my straighteners on.  I found that I only had to go over each piece of hair once with the straighteners to a achieve poker straight, glossy hair.

I also used the Heat Defence on my daughter's hair.  She has waist length curly hair that is a nightmare to straighten.  With Dove Heat Defence I achieved perfectly straight hair in less than 15 minutes, her hair also stayed straight for 3 days!!

Overall I really like the shampoo and conditioner but I am super impressed by the Heat Defence spray.

Dove Damage Therapy Colour Radiance Shampoo and Conditioner are £2.60 each and the Dove Heat Defence Mist is £2.71  The range is currently on 3 for 2 offer at Boots

*PR Sample

Genuine Dermaroller Therapy Review

November last year I was asked if I would like to try a course of Genuine Dermaroller Therapy, well after thinking about it for a nanosecond I jumped at the chance.  Well as woman of a certain age, who is desperately trying to hold back the years, it would have been foolish of me to refuse.

I instantly knew that this treatment would involve some sort of needles on a roller and I also knew that there would be no instant gratification with this treatment as the best results of this treatment are seen over a period of time.

Please visit www.genuinedermaroller.co.uk to learn how this treatment works and how it could benefit you.

So I would now like to share my experience of this treatment with you.

On 29th November 2011 I arrived at the beautiful Mulberry House Clinic & Laser Centre in the village of Hardingstone in Northamptonshire.  This clinic is located just 5 minutes from Junction 15 of the M1.  I was met by Dr John Tanqueray, who explained every aspect of the treatment I was having and he patiently answered the many questions that I had.  A local anaesthetic cream was applied to my face and I then waited for 30 minutes for the cream to take effect.

The treatment started on my forehead and whilst it wasn't a relaxing treatment it wasn't painful either.  Whilst Dr Tanqueray was using the Dermaroller on my forehead I could hear a gentle 'popping' sensation as the needles were penetrating my skin.

 The dermaroller was then moved down onto my cheek area, this area didn't hurt at all, in fact I found that the most uncomfortable place for me was along the jaw bone.  The treatment takes around 20 minutes.

I know in the above photograph the treatment looks quite brutal, believe me that they were just blood spots caused by the needles during the process and these were wiped away before I left the clinic.

After the treatment I was given a special cream to use for a couple of days to help with the healing process.

Post treatment my skin was very red, shiny and felt quite tight for between 4 - 6 hours.  Before bed my skin had reduced to a very pale pink and by the next morning I was just left with a glow and a few grazes on my cheeks, which were easily covered by make up.   After a couple of days I experienced some minor skin peeling, this only lasted for a day.

It is recommended that the treatments are carried out at least 6 weeks apart and it is usually after the second treatment that results can be seen.

I went for my second treatment on 10th January 2012 and by this time I could definitely notice a difference in my skin, my forehead seemed smoother and there was a definite glow about my skin.

By the time I went for my 3rd treatment on 28th February 2012 other people had started to make comments about how well I looked and asking me if I'd had anything done.  It has now been several weeks since my 3rd treatment and my skin is just getting better and better.  There is a new firmness to my skin and all of my products just seem to be working better.

This photograph was taken on 29th November 2011

This photo was taken on 12th March 2012

I think the results speak for the themselves.  To say I am thrilled is a bit of an understatement.

The Dermaroller can be used for facial regeneration, on acne scars, the back of the hands and on the tummy and thighs for stretch marks.

Treatments start at £250 per session and an initial course of 3 is recommended. 

There are 500 clinics in the UK offering Genuine Dermaroller Therapy and you can find a clinic near you at www.genuinedermaroller.co.uk if you live in the Northamptonshire area and you would like to visit the clinic that I visited, you can find all their details at www.mulberryhouseclinic.co.uk 

If you have any questions regarding my experience with this treatment then please either leave a comment or send me an email via the address on my contact page.

*This course of treatments were provided by PR

Winner of The Vitality Show 2012 Tickets

The winner of The Vitality Show Tickets is Hannah.  Congratulations Hannah, I have passed your contact details onto the PR company and they should be in touch with you tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

Win Tickets To The Vitality Show 2012

The Vitality Show is on at London Earls Court 2 from 22nd - 25th March 2012.

There is something for everyone at The Vitality Show 2012 from Beauty, Health & Diet, Fitness & Yoga to Well Being & Life Change.

Would you like to win a pair of tickets to this fabulous event?

All you need to do to win a pair of tickets is follow this blog by GFC, Bloglovin or Hello Cotton.

Please leave me a comment telling me how you follow my blog, your email address and whether you would prefer to attend on Saturday 24th or Sunday 25th March.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday 20th March 2012 at 8pm.  The winner will be picked at random using Random Org.

The email address of the winner will be passed onto the PR company who are providing the tickets.

Good luck everyone.




*Prize provided by PR company

Attention Bloggers!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment and emailed me.  I have chosen my guest bloggers for April and have emailed them.  I will be contacting the other people who expressed an interest in May as I will need some more guest bloggers in June.  Thank you again to all of you. xx

Would you be interested in guest posting on Love Lust & Fairy Dust?  You would?  Fabulous.

I need several guest bloggers for April 2012 whilst I am on holiday.  The blog posts can be about anything to do with beauty, skin care, hair care, make up or nail care.  Guest blog posts will need to be submitted to me by 1st April 2012 and will be scheduled to post between 7th and 24th April 2012.  If you are interested please leave a comment with your email address or email me on the email address that is in the contact tab on the blog.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

As I have got older my eyelids have changed colour.  I have what I call 'teabag stained eyelids'.  This causes a problem as eye shadows apply to my eyelids a totally different colour to what they are in the pan.  I have tried concealers but they just crease on my eyelids and cause whatever colour is on top to crease too.  Eye primers do not change the colour of the eyelid, they just give a smooth base to apply the eye shadow.  After reading a few blog posts I decided to buy MAC Paint Pot in Painterly as I have read a few bloggers who recommended this as an eye base.

This applies a lot lighter than it looks in the photograph.  It is an absolute dream to apply, blends so easily and dries to a perfect finish, so perfect that I can just apply a couple of coats of mascara for a natural eye look.  The best thing about this product is that when I apply eye shadow over the top the colour is vibrant and lasts until I remove it.  I now use this product as my eye primer all of the time.  There are several colours available in the Paint Pot collection and I think my next purchase will be Blackground after seeing this Lisa Eldridge video where she creates the perfect smoky eye using this product.

I purchased my MAC Paint Pot from the MAC counter at my local Debenhams for £14.50

Have you tried MAC Paint Pots?
How do you use yours?
What colours do you recommend?

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Lift & Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

Several times over the last few months Caroline Hirons from www.beautymouth.com has recommended Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm to her readers.  Now if you know Caroline you will know that she knows her skincare and so I decided that it was time I tried out this wonder product for myself.

On Sunday night I ordered the supersize 200ml Cleanisng Balm from QVC  £44 with free delivery, this deal runs until the end of March.  I have had a look at other websites and you will pay around £34 for 100ml so the this is a fantastic deal.

Well On Tuesday my parcel was delivered.  People, this pot is huge, you are certainly getting a lot of product for your money.

All I can tell you about this product at the moment is that it smells amazing.  You can use it as a cleanser, a mask and a serum.  I will be using this for the next couple of weeks I will then write up my review to let you know how I am getting on with it.

Don't forget, you have until the end of March to take advantage of the special offer on QVC

Decléor Experience De L'Age Resurfacing Gel-Peeling

A couple of months ago I read about the Decléor Experience De L'Age Resurfacing Gel-Peeling Wrinkle Lift Radiance over at Beauty Wowza's blog.  I was so impressed with what Priya had to say about the product that I purchased it immediately.

This is a once or twice a week treatment and if using during the summer months then a sun protection must be used immediately afterwards and for up to one week after use.

This product promises to reveal skin radiance and even out the complexion by stimulating cell renewal mechanisms, smooth wrinkles, fine lines and refine the skin's texture.  It gently re-energises the epidermis and from the first use the skin is more radiant and luminous, gradually the skin will appear smooth and lifted and the signs of ageing become less noticeable.

The product contains Iris Concrete, Maca Extract, Fruit AHA Complex, Pineapple, Grape, Passion Fruit, Aloe Vera Gel and Rose Concentrate Floral Water.

This product is so easy to use, just apply to a clean face and neck with a cotton pad, leave for 5 minutes then rinse with clear water.  I experienced a very slight tingling sensation for the first couple of minutes.  Once removed my face was certainly glowing and my skin did look more radiant.  I used this twice a week for a month and there is a clear improvement in my skin tone and the two dark spots that I have on my cheek are definitely fading.

Overall I am really impressed with this product and I will be purchasing it again.  I would not recommend this for anyone under the age of 30 but for the more mature person who is trying to hold back the years this would be a product that you would benefit from and it is so easy to slip into your normal skin routine.

This product retails at www.decleor.co.uk

Have you tried any resurfacing products?  I would love to know what you would recommend that transforms your skin and gives you back your radiance.

L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadow - Sahara Treasure

I have seen several blog posts about the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadows and the majority have raved about them, so whilst in my local boots I decided to pick one up and see what all the hype was about.  There are 12 colours available, good for you if you live near a Boots store that has all 12 in stock.  My Boots had a choice of 4 colours and I eventually decided on Sahara Treasure.

It's very difficult to describe this colour, in the pot it's a dirty gold/bronze/khaki colour, I can tell I'm really selling it to you with that description!

The texture is quite bizarre too, although it is a loose powder it has more of a cream/gel feel to it.

Application for me has been an absolute nightmare.  First of all I tried my usual brush, it looked an absolute mess, it applied in patches and looked caked and uneven.  Next I tried to apply with my finger, although it looked a little better I found that this method caused lots of fall out.  Finally after lots of experimenting I used ELF lid primer, MAC Paint Pot in Painterly and then I used a sponge applicator to apply the shadow, it applied like a dream.  You can build this eye shadow but I prefer to use it as a wash of colour that gives a beautiful sheen.  After a 12 hour shift this eye shadow had not budged at all, there was no creasing and it looked as fresh as it did when I first applied it.

I will definitely be picking up a few more of these now that I have sorted the application method out.

These eye shadows retails at £6.99 but Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on L'Oreal products

Winner of £50 Experience Days UK Voucher

The Winner is....................

Betwixt Beauty @betwixtbeauty

Congratulations

Can you please email me or DM me on twitter with your full postal address, I will then pass this onto Experience Days UK who will arrange delivery of your voucher.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

Look out for a very special giveaway in April!