Beauty Blog - Beauty Geek UK: November 2011

Biotherm Aquasource Eye Perfection

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the fabulous Handpicked Media Gets Social which is basically a day of talks on improving your blogging skills. Obviously there's a lot more to it than that, so if you're interested, have a look at Beauty and the Dirt's run through of the event here.

There were also some fantastic sponsors there including Bourjois, Shu Uemura and Kiehls, which meant we got to sample some of the new products these brands were launching.

One of my favourite goodies from the day is this Biotherm Aquasource Eye Perfection, which is a cooling gel containing Thermal Plankton, Calcium and Caffeine. The applicator contains 3 metal balls that cool and massage the area during application. I don't have much experience with Biotherm so I was excited to be introduced to the brand through this eye treatment.

I've tried a few versions of cooling eye gels and never really got on with them because I've found that they haven't followed through with their promises. For me, the significant difference between this particular gel and the others I've tried is that the moment I apply it I can feel my under eye area tightening and 'deflating' (unfortunately I suffer from hugely, puffy eyes when I wake up) but without feeling like the moisture has been stripped from the area. I usually avoid gels purely because my under eye area is always crying out for moisturisation as well as needing to feel soothed, so if I have to pick between the two I go for moisture so my make-up sits better, but happily this gel meets both requirements.

I've added this to my daily routine and I now apply it the minute I wake up (I tend to apply it quite heavily as it doesn't go into bits like a lot of eye treatments so I can get away with really working it in) and by the time I'm ready to apply my make-up, my eyes look more awake and less puffy, so it's a winner for me. Having had a bit of a hectic time recently - and knowing it's only going to get worse in the lead-up to Christmas - I'll be putting together a list of things I rely on to keep me looking alive and the Eye Perfection will definitely be a worthy mention.

Available here for £22.45.

*Press sample.

Boudoir Prive November Box: Vinies Veda Mask Issues

So! It's been quite a controversial month for beauty boxes, as we've had high levels of complaints and disappointment regarding overlapping brands (one brand featured in several boxes whilst another brand featured in the same box for several months), lack of quality samples (as much as I loved my Illamasqua Freak, enough with the perfume samples!) and an issue with a particular mask featured in Boudoir Prive's most recent box.

The mask in question is Vinies Veda Mask which many have reported having strong and fairly severe sensitivity issues with. A lot of people have said that it has left their skin feeling burnt, sore and red and many have complained that they should have been forewarned, which I agree with.

Boudoir Prive responded to complaints with this statement released through their Facebook page here:

Please read this email response from *Vinie Sukhmanee, Founder and CEO Vinies Veda*:

'Thank you for the opportunity to respond to comments regarding Vinies Luminous Skin Mask. Yes, it is true that for some people, the Luminous Skin Mask will initially make the skin red. Should redness appear, this however goes away within fifteen minutes of having removed the mask provided that COLD water, as directed, is used for its removal.

Ayurveda is an ancient tradition, practiced for centuries. One of the core concepts of Ayurveda is that the individual Ayurvedic herbs within an Auyrvedic formulation work together in synergy to produce its intended result. The line of Vinies products are created to do exactly that. We harvest only the finest, natural Ayurvedic herbs selected for their purity and potency.

In some cases, it is your body’s normal response to the pure Ayurvedic herbs to experience redness and heat. Redness of the skin is not cause for panic. The redness and heat are an indication that the herbs are activated and working.

In using our face masks, we recommend the following:The directions for use require that all of our masks be rinsed off with cold water, so please remove using only cold water; andShould redness appear, do not apply other products to the skin until all redness has dissipated.

Applying another product to the skin may result in irritation. We at Vinies Veda stand by our products and we have faith in the traditions of Ayurveda. Any further concerns may be addressed to me directly via email(info@viniesveda.com)'.

Thank you and regards,Vinie Sukhmanee (Founder and CEO Vinies Veda)

It would be a bit pointless to vilify BP since they can't possibly predict the results and effects of the products in their boxes, so hopefully this will be a learning curve to all Beauty Box suppliers that ingredients lists, directions and clear information regarding possible side effects need to be included to ensure that anyone with sensitive skin or those who like to keep things gentle know to avoid anything too harsh and OTT.

I personally quite like the idea of products where I can 'feel the burn' as nine times out of ten, the results are usually smooth and polished skin after the initial bit of mild discomfort. However, I realise this is a bit odd and I appreciate that not everyone feels the same, so the point is that we need to be informed to ensure that we can choose whether to try such products, rather than going in blind and hoping for the best.

Have you tried this mask? How do you feel about the idea of not knowing possible adverse effects of a product?

Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover

Following on from my recent post about eye make-up removers for sensitive eyes here, here's another worthy addition to the list. Amie's Bright Eyes is an oil-free and 96% natural eye make up remover designed specifically for those of us with eyes that are overly sensitive and easily reactive.

This pale blue liquid really is incredibly gentle and soothing on the eyes and if I needed to make a comparison I'd say it's close to Liz Earle's Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion both in consistency and ability. This is ideal for quickly removing eye make-up as well as soothing irritated eyes. Another thing this works well as is a cold compress; when you soak 2 cotton pads in this and place on the eyes either during a facial or when your eyes are crying out for a bit of TLC.

This isn't ideal for very heavy eye make-up as on the 2 days I tried it with a full face of make-up (as opposed to my daily bit of shadow, liner and mascara) it took quite a bit of effort to remove all traces, but for everyday use this is great.

One final thing that I think is worth mentioning that puts this on my 'regular use' list is the fact that I can soak a cotton tip with this and use it on the inside of my eye (to remove tightliner, if unsure what that is have a look here) which is really significant as I have such reactive eyes, so the fact that I can comfortably use this on the actual eye and not be left with sore eyes is really something.

Bright Eyes is available here for £4.75.

*Press sample.

Boots No7 Spring 2012 Upcoming Launches

Here's something I am very excited about as I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the No7 brand, and I've recently discovered that there will be some amazing launches coming out early next year. They're mixing things up with their make-up, but also have some fantastic skincare products coming out too. I really prefer skincare that's tailor-made to our individual needs, and thankfully No7 have taken note by releasing some very cool choices.

Here's a selection of the products that I'm most excited about:

Beautiful Skin BB Cream (£15)

As I'm sure everyone else did, I got carried away with the BB Cream excitement as over the last year, some impressive ones were released into the UK market and most were well received. However, whilst they were great for those with normal or near to normal skin, any major skin types like oily or dry were left out in the cold. No7 have addressed this by creating 3 different versions of their BB Cream; Normal/Oily, Normal/Dry or Dry/Very Dry. I'm really pleased that a company has FINALLY realised that BB Cream needs to be more skin type specific, and I'm currently trying the Normal/Dry one which so far is lovely. I'll write a full review once I've played around with it a little more.

Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water for Normal/Oily skin (£9)

The fabulous Lady Cunningham (BritishBeautyBlogger), raved about this product recently, saying that it's very similar to a Micellar Water which she's a big fan of. I much prefer wipe off cleansers as opposed to wash-off and if they can be a liquid rather than a cream then I'm totally sold. I seriously cannot wait to try this as whenever my skin is crying out for a bit of TLC (like now, sadly) I always tone down my skincare to the bare minimum by using gentle cleansing waters and very little else, so I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on this and the fact that it's going to cost less than a tenner has me impatiently tapping my feet whilst awaiting the arrival of it in Boots.

Beautiful Skin Day Cream (£12.50)

To compliment their range of BB Creams, No7 will also be releasing day creams for the same skin types (Normal/Oily, Normal/Dry and Dry/Very Dry), all of which have an SPF15 and a 5 star UVA rating. As you can see, the packaging is very pretty and I'm really pleased that there are a variety of options available for skintype-specific choices.

Airbrush Away Primer (£19.50)

I'm on a bit of a primer finding mission at the moment as I'm back and forth about whether they're necessary or not. Having said that, since my skin has improved drastically recently (apart from my current, annoying mini breakout), I'm starting to become more aware of the things that didn't enter my radar previously, like the large pores on my cheeks and my shiny nose. On this basis, I'm looking at the huge variety of primers available on the market and I'm working my way through them. This primer appears to be aimed at reducing the appearance of ageing which is quite unusual for a primer, so I'm interested to see how this performs.

Vital Brights Cream Blush (£10)

Time to move away from the technical and on to the beautiful; it was love at first site when I saw these cream blushes as not only is the packaging heartbreakingly pretty, the limited edition shades are gorgeous and perfect for summer cheeks. There are two shades available, Blooming Pink and Blossoming Pink. Blooming Pink is a bright fuschia pink, whereas Blossoming Pink is a more toned down, rosy pink. I'm such a big fan of cream blushes as I think they can give a really natural, dewy finish, so I'll be checking out the Blooming Pink once it comes out next year.

Vital Brights Lipstick (£10)

These two limited edition lipsticks match the cream blushes and are housed in equally sleek white packaging. These are perfect spring brights that would work wonderfully with the matching blushes and I'll again be leaning towards Blooming Pink as I'm a sucker for a bright fuschia. Plus, according to Lisa Eldridge who is No7's Creative Consultant, "This pretty pink blows the cobwebs away and breathes life and energy into the face in an instant" which sounds good to me!

Philips ReAura: Quick Update

If you managed to catch my most recent log (if not, it can be found here) then you'll know that I'd become incredibly casual about my skincare, and as a consequence, I wasn't regularly ReAuraing like I should've been.

My skin was doing everything I wanted it to do; it wasn't breaking out, it was looking smooth and it required very little make-up. All I was doing was a quick cleanse, tone and moisturise (if that, if I'm honest) and taking it for granted that my skin was settled and happy.

Unfortunately, it's now played up and I have five spots. What's quite funny is that the skin I used to have wouldn't have shown up the spots as they would've blended into the pigmentation (you seriously couldn't tell the difference between spots and post-acne marks on my face, so even when I was having a 'good day' I'd still look very spotty) however, now the pigmentation has faded so much since I started using the ReAura, they're really rather obvious! They're nothing terrible and I've managed to reduce them to almost nothing now, but what it does mean is that I can't ReAura until they've gone as you're not supposed to use the ReAura directly on spots. So it'll be a couple of days before my next treatment, but once that's done I'll resume my updates.

The ReAura isn't intended to treat spots, but going on the fact that I had virtually none right up until I stopped treating with the device, I'm going to believe that, for whatever reason, it's doing something to keep the spots at bay. If this means that for the rest of my life I need to keep up regular ReAura treatments then that's definitely something I'm happy to commit to. Anyone who's ever battled with constant spots will know what I mean!

In the meantime, I've been receiving lots of messages and comments on here from other ReAura users who are all getting on well with it, which is so fantastic to hear. I really do love hearing from other people - especially as the ReAura is so new so there's not a lot of us about yet - so if you are a ReAura user, please let me know how you're getting on by either mailing me or commenting here. FAQ post will be coming soon and hopefully the next treatment log will be up by the weekend.

Lazy Girl's Pedicure

Inspired by a Twitter chat I had with the lovely Never2Broke4Beauty and FabFingerTips about winter feet maintenance (I know, charming topic) I decided to delve a little deeper into finding out how we can keep our feet looking passable without putting in much effort. I love having pretty feet to show off in the summer, but when winter arrives and they spend three quarters of the day covered in socks, I tend to lean towards thinking "what's the point?" Consequently, I've put together a lazy girl's pedicure plan, together with some low-maintenance shade suggestions.

You will need:

Nail varnish remover (if you have any remaining polish from your last pedicure)
Cotton wool (to use with the remover)
Nail clippers (to tame the talons)
All-in-one file/buffer (to stop scratchy nails after clipping and to buff away any dry nail)
Nail polish (more on that later)

1. Start by removing any remaining nail varnish. Yes this is an obvious one and probably contradicts the 'lazy girl' approach, but this way your efforts will last longer, meaning you'll need to do the whole process less often, so it's forward planning!

2. Clip nails as short as you can take them without it getting uncomfortable/bloody. Again, we're aiming for longevity so whilst slightly longer nails can look very pretty, shorter nails need clipping less often.

3. Get filing and buffing. Just file enough so that the shape looks reasonable (we're not aiming for perfection) and the edge feels smooth so it doesn't catch on tights/socks/boyfriends/cats.

4. Finish with one coat of nail varnish in your chosen shade. Lighter, pearlescent shades work best for not showing up chips or flaws. If you can be bothered, you can add a top coat, but only if you're not really, really lazy......

Here's a selection of shades that I think are best for keeping toes pretty with little effort.

For a splash of pretty pink try: Bourjois 1 Second Nail Varnish in shade Pearlised Iced Pink. This is a delicate, petal pink with a slight shine finish. The fact that it utilises a fan shaped brush means your lazy girl pedicure will take even less time.

For a pearly nude try: Maybelline Forever Strong Professional Nail Varnish in Porcelain. This is the shade I'm currently wearing and it's ideal for lazy pedicures because you can literally splodge it on and it dries to a pretty, girly finish that looks like I've made much more effort than I actually have.

For colour with more punch try: Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Ethereal. If you're keen to go lazy, but still want a bit more colour, this is a pretty, purpley pink that's still pearly and light enough to not show up flaws.

For a low maintenance nude try: Leighton Denny in Barely There. If you want to keep things as natural as possible (which, whilst in my opinion isn't is pretty, is probably quite sensible if longevity is your main aim) then this is a lovely shade that'll keep your toes looking clean and polished for ages.

I did this pedicure this evening and it took just under 5 minutes. That's me set until 2012....

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Lash Stretching Mascara

Before: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Champagne and Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner in Black Ebony.
After: As above, plus lashes curled with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler and one coat of Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Lash Stretching Mascara.

I was very excited about the launch of this mascara, so as soon as it was back in stock at Selfridges, I bullied the boyfriend into treating me to it. I've had a bit of an influx of fabulous mascaras to try lately, and this is definitely one of my favourites.

I've now tried a few Giorgio Armani products now and so far, all of them have been of really decent quality and that includes this mascara. I really wanted to try one of the Eyes to Kill mascaras, but they all seemed to be aimed at thickening or blackening the lashes, whereas I'm more keen on length.

It has an 'interesting' brush, not so interesting that I've actually made much effort to find out more about it, but if you're eager to find out more then have a look at my preview post here.

The mascara itself is of a good consistency and doesn't clump, yet does very gently thicken the lashes. I won't say this is the most lengthening I've ever tried - that would be Givenchy's Phenomen'eyes - but where this one has Phenomen'eyes beat is that it's much quicker and less fiddly to apply, plus it doesn't end up all over your upper and lower eyelids within 20 minutes of application.

If you're looking for a mascara that really does lengthen, is easy to apply, accentuates the smaller lashes on the inner corners and doesn't smudge, then this is definitely a worthy investment. It's priced at £23.50 and is available here.

November Boudoir Prive Box

Today, the last of my monthly beauty boxes arrived, so I'll be doing a full comparison shortly. Included was a fairly decent mix of products covering the majority of the categories (skincare, haircare etc) but what's really interesting is how the boxes are starting to overlap; in October's (I think! Maybe September's?) Glossy Box there were a couple of samples of Rahua shampoo and conditioner and this month's BP box features the same, although I think it was a different type as these samples are volumising, whereas the samples in GB were more general. Secondly, in this month's GB there was a Dead Sea Spa Magik sample of face wash and in this month's BP there's also a Dead Sea Spa Magik product. There's some irony in the fact that I said in the review (found here) that I was happy it was a face wash and not a body cream as I'm less interested in such things, and can you guess what sample is in the BP box? Anyway, here's the run through of the included samples:

StudioMakeUp Rich Hydration Lipstick

This is a full-sized sample and the one I got was in the shade 'Shimmering Sands' which is a golden beige colour. Most definitely not the sort of colour I would ever wear as it's immensely unflattering against my skintone and I tend to avoid all beige/brown colours because of this. The lipstick itself is smart and chic, and you release it from it's outer casing by pushing the bottom, which then slides it out a little, so you can pull it all the way out. The texture is nicely moisturising, enough so that when I applied it over dry lips it didn't show up the flakes. I've had a look on the website and there are some really pretty shades available, it's just a shame I didn't get one in my box! This retails at £12.25.

Vinies Ayurveda's Soul Luminous Skin Mask

I mentioned in another box review that I tend to lead with my favourite product inclusions, but I'd actually say that this month's favourite in the BP box is probably these samples. I really like trying out face masks and I think masks are the sort of thing you can't go wrong with in a beauty box, as unless you suffer from very sensitive skin, chances are that, regardless of your skintype, you'll be able to make the most of a mask sample. I'm not familiar with this brand, but this mask is designed to gently exfoliate and brighten. It's also gentle enough to be used daily. Included were two 15gm samples, and full size (40gm) this retails at $34.95. I can't seem to find this in GBP, so using a currency converter this would mean that the RRP would be £22.62 and on that basis, the samples included - which are equal to three quarters of a full sized product - have a value of around £16 (ish). That was slightly more complicated than expected!

Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner

So, having done a bit of research online, I've established that this is a very expensive brand! I tried the samples from the GB collection and I did really like them, so I'm excited to see what these are like, especially as they're designed for my hair type. Included in this box were 4 samples in total; 2 shampoos and 2 conditioners, and they were housed in a dinky little draw-string bag. Both these full sized products are 275mls and retail at £26 for the shampoo and £27.50 for the conditioner. Therefore the 20ml shampoo (2 10ml sachets) samples are worth £1.90 and the 16ml of conditioner (2 8ml sachets) samples are worth £1.60.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Body Lotion

This is fairly nice; it's quite moisturising (I have a bit of dry skin on my hand that I use as a body lotion testing area) and absorbs quite quickly. It also smells like a spa, which is good if you're looking to recreate a pampering, 'home-salon' style experience. I mentioned earlier and in other posts that I'm not a big fan of body lotions, so it's a shame so many of these beauty boxes like to include them, but I realise I'm in the minority with this and a lot of people love them. The sample included is 50ml and the full sized product is 350ml which retails for £7.70. To be honest, having had a nose through the range online, I think these are the sort of products that would do really well at recreating an at home pampering experience as they smell fresh, look 'spa-like' and are very affordable. The sample included is worth £1.10.

Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturiser

I'm a big fan of natural moisturisers, having recently tried some amazing ones, so I'm looking forward to giving this one a go. As a quick review, this one felt very nourishing yet absorbed quickly. It also has a teeny, tiny SPF of 6. This is the second Korres item to be included in a BP box; last month there was a body moisturiser which, truth be told, I haven't actually tried, but again this is more of a reflection on my lack of interest in body creams rather than issue with the product itself. This retails at £19 for 40ml and the sample included is 10ml with a value of just under £5.

So there we have it, all the products featured in this month's BP box. The total value is about £38. Not as amazing as the value of previous boxes, but still money well spend if you consider the cost of the box is £12.95 including P+P. For more information on Boudoir Prive, click here.

Benefit Holiday Collection

Just in case anybody's curious, when I'm not blogging about beauty or replying to e-mails from my lovely readers about beauty related topics (or on Facebook or Twitter talking about beauty), I can be found wandering around various beauty counters taking pictures of things that I think are beautiful. This week I came across the Benefit holiday range that (I'm guessing) has been released to inspire gift ideas. Here are a few of the things that I thought were a bit gorgeous:

Feeling Cheeky

This is my favourite as I love the various products that Benefit does for the cheeks. This kit includes a Posie Tint and Benetint which are both stains that can be used on the cheeks and lips (Posie is more pink and Bene is more red) as well as High Beam which is a pearly pink highlighter. Benetint and High Beam are two of Benefit's cult products, so this fairly cheap kit is either a fantastic introduction to the range, or a great stock-up set for Benefit connoisseurs, priced at £14.50

POWda WOWza

Another collection containing some of Benefit's best bits, this palette focuses on their cheek powders; included is CORALista which is a pinky, coral powder, Hoola Bronzing Powder (which is one of my favourite bronzers as it's matte and I always prefer matte powders) and Bella Bamba which is a brightening pink. I love Benefit's yearly powder collections and this year's is a goodun', priced at £19.50.

Tattletell All

This is a more varied and less specific collection which includes a few bits and bobs from the whole range. There's quite a bit included such as High Beam, Benetint, Dallas powder, 2 eyeshadows, 2 lipsticks, 1 lipgloss and a double-ended brush as well as a step-by-step guide to application. This would make such a lovely gift for a make-up lover and the shades are all fairly neutral and pretty. Priced at £29.50.

I'm Glam, Therefore I Am

This is my favourite of the two holiday palettes as I like the fact that it's all a bit more girly; if the one above is everything you need for a daytime look then this is everything you need for a night out. It also seems like the products featured in this palette aren't available individually, which I think makes it a little more interesting. Included is Girl Meets Pearl which is another highlighter for the face - I'm not sure how this differs from High Beam; maybe in texture? Feel free to enlighten (or highlighten) me! - as well as a glamming face powder with brush, a lipgloss in Bubblegum Pink, an eyeshadow palette including 4 complimenting shades and a small version of BADgal mascara as well as an eyeshadow applicator. This kit is priced at £29.50.

Ticket To Glossytown

Lastly, is something I still thought looked cute, but wouldn't really appeal to me as I'm not much of a gloss wearer. This kit contains 6 different glosses of various shades; it appears they've included a decent selection of colours, although the majority seem to fall into a variant of pink, but as you can see, the presentation is rather lovely. The colours included are: So Frisk Me, Nudie-Tude, Spiked Punch, Life On The A-List, Foxy Lady and Kiss You. The price for this kit is £19.50.

I've added one or two of these collections to my Christmas wish list, which ones would you like?

Philips ReAura: Fourth Treatment Log

Get comfy, this may take a while......

So I am officially rubbish as I'm not doing a great job at keeping my ReAura log updated nor am I doing a particularly good job at keeping up with the treatments, but I have a very good argument as to why! Hear me out; for as long as I can remember, I've been working really hard at maintaining a strict skincare regime in an attempt to improve my rubbish skin. However, the motivation really isn't there any more as I don't really have to do much now to keep my skin looking lovely as it doesn't really need much help. I was really interested to read that a study into the impact of the ReAura on the skin showed "significant improvement" in porphyrins, which are bacterial excretions that can cause acne (article here) as I haven't suffered from any major breakouts since I began treatment apart from a minor breakout when I used a cleansing lotion that I'd used previously and broke out with then, and a massive spot on the side of my nose (which I'm actually recording to write about, so expect some truly gruesome close-ups in another post shortly....I like to give my readers something to look forward to) but nothing in the usual target areas; my chin and lower cheeks. I have absolutely no idea whether this is due to the ReAura or not, I have no way of proving it and the fact that my skin was on it's way to clearing up could well mean that it cleared itself up coincidentally during my ReAura treatment. I really don't want to state that I feel the ReAura has cured my acne as I really don't want people to buy this gadget on this basis, but I just feel that my skin has suddenly become normal/oily (as opposed to oily/acne-prone) and is the best it's ever been and I can only conclude that it's got something to do with the ReAura.

I'd like to add that if you're an acne-sufferer and have read the above and are now more inclined to buy it, please consider the fact that the ReAura CANNOT be used on actual acne. So the only way it can be used to help such an issue is if you start the treatment when you're clear, which is incredibly tricky. Either that, or you start the treatment and avoid the actual spots; this is where I think it worked for me as I could treat areas that were acne prone but acne free to start off with, then eventually covering my whole face once there were no more spots. This isn't an ideal device for those with a lot of their facial surface covered with spots, but I do believe that if you get one here and there, or manage to slot in the first treatment on a day where you're clear, then this will make a difference. I've honestly never been this clear in my post-adolescent life.

Right! On to the elements of improvement that the ReAura is intended for.

I'll start by sharing something that I've been sharing with pretty much everyone who will listen as it was a fairly surreal moment for me and I'll explain why:

Sorry to keep repeating myself, but I'm not someone with low self-esteem and I know what my best and worst bits are; I have nice eyes, not bad cheekbones and a nose that leaves a fair bit to be desired. However, one thing I never take into account is my skin as I'd well and truly accepted it was something that would never make a positive impression. The day after my last treatment, I went to my local Boots (it's safe to say I'm there a lot; if beauty is a religion then Boots is where I worship) and I know many of the women who work there due to the regularity of my visits. One particular lady I always stop and have a chat with, and as I approached her to say hello, almost immediately she asked me what I had done to my skin. It was really obvious she was impressed; she tried to delicately state that my previous skin wasn't 'ideal' and wanted to know what I'd done that had had such a dramatic impact. Obviously I went through the details of the ReAura and how I'd been using it, but what was so strange for me was having someone ask me what I'd been doing to achieve such good skin. I feel like I might be doing a rubbish job at expressing just how surreal this was as I would never in a million years have thought that anyone would ever want to know my skincare secrets, other than what acne treatments I had tried that didn't work.

It isn't just the spots (unfortunately they're such a dominant feature in my ReAura logs due to the impact it's had) but the tone of my skin and the brightness of my pigmentation has improved beyond belief. I'm not going to lie, there's still a lot of improvement needed on the pigmentation - if you consider that the ReAura isn't really intended for post acne scarring either so the fact that it's having any impact is impressive - but nothing acne-related dominates my face any more. I can now tailor-make my make-up to the colours and textures I want to use, rather than having to stick to things that tone down my scars and spots. I don't really need make-up on my face now; I'm only really using it still because I love make-up. My skincare routine is now your basic cleanse, tone and moisturise rather than the before procedure which was specialist cleanse, tone, treatment toner, treatment serum for pigmentation, moisturiser, spot treatment. It takes me a few minutes every night and I almost have the skin I've always wanted. Obviously in an ideal world it would be flawless and of course it isn't; I'm sure if I'd kept up the ReAura treatment it would be even better, but there is a joy to indulging in the fact that I don't really need to make time for my skincare at the moment. However, I will be picking up the treatment plan again over the weekend, so more logs will follow.

So that's the painfully detailed list of all the positives, now on to the negatives. I seem to be alone in my thoughts on this - going on what other ReAura users have said - but I do have a day or two of downtime with the ReAura. I go very pink for a couple of days and my chin crusted up again during the last treatment. It doesn't last and for all intents and purposes it's really nothing major, but it's definitely noteworthy. The temporary skin changes are easy to conceal and really don't make much difference. I don't know why it is that it appears it's just me experiencing these, it could be because I've spent the past 10+ years damaging my skin with harsh acne treatments, it could be that my skin is so used to being infected with spots that it's not great at dealing with anything else, or it could be that I've got so much pigmentation that my skin is severely damaged and will react to anything like this, I don't know. It's interesting that it's much, MUCH worse in the area where I used to get so many spots. For me, it's not a major issue and one I'm more than happy to suffer for a day or two to get the results I'm getting.

Lastly, a bit more on the treatment itself. I feel like I've finally got the hang of doing the actual treatment as this time it was much quicker and it felt easier. It's also worth noting that, whereas before it stung quite considerably, now there are parts of my face that, after the first time the laser passes the area, I can't really feel it. This probably means that I'll be heading up to the more intense 'level 3' treatment soon (I keep saying that but I'm 'such' a wimp). It's definitely a treatment that takes a bit of practice, but each time I feel more confident with it and I don't need to put as much time aside for it. One thing I have noticed that I wasn't previously doing is taking the laser all the way to the outer edges of my face; this makes a big difference as I'm then completely covering the treatment zone, plus I'm then not left with dividing lines from where I have and haven't treated.

I'm so sorry for such a long post, I'm not great at succinct writing at the best of times, but I think I might have taken it to a whole new level today. As always, if you have any questions then please message me or ideally leave a comment on one of these posts so I can answer for everyone to see. Shortly, I'll be adding an FAQ post about the ReAura, which I'm probably going to quote other comments on, so if you're interested, please keep an eye out for that.

I'll be doing my next treatment at the weekend, so a blog will follow shortly.

To read my introductory blog to the ReAura click here.
To read my first treatment log click here.
For the Philips ReAura site click here.

To purchase the ReAura, click here.

*Press Sample.

Philips ReAura: My ReAura Support Site

I wanted to write a little about the support site, "My ReAura", to give possible future users an idea of what to expect from the site. When you decide to purchase the ReAura, one of the first things you'll do is speak to a Philips Skincare Advisor who will talk you though the possible outcomes of the treatment, but they will also assess your suitability for the device to make sure it will be money well spent. This works as quite a good introduction to the support available during your treatment, which consists of the My ReAura site, and e-mail and phone details for the advisors. I've found that the best way to get in touch if you're keen to speak with someone quickly is to call them. I have done this and I was put through fairly quickly and got my issue sorted immediately. If you have a query but can't be bothered to call then your best bet is the My ReAura site:

Main front page.

The first page you're greeted with is a run down of the options available within the site. Here you can find a brief overview of your treatment plan (you input your details when you first join and this helps you log your progress) then there are videos on things like what you can expect your skin to do during treatment and how to get the most out of your ReAura. The community section is where you can read about what other's have to say about their experiences and it's a useful tool to get an idea of what to expect. The Skincare Advisors seem to keep an eye on this area, so if you ask any general questions then they're likely to be answered here.

Treatment plan page

As mentioned above, the treatment plan is where you input your information and log where you are with the treatment. It's useful to get an idea of what should be happening with your skin and is especially useful for those who plan to use the ReAura to treat multiple areas.

Support page.

Lastly, the support page is where you find any information about who to contact and how to contact them. All the contact details are here and you can also send an e-mail directly through this page.

There is also a skin assessment page for those who are new to the ReAura and want to find out if it's right for them, although you can also do this by speaking to an Advisor.

My thoughts are that this is a useful tool for those who are unsure of what to expect from using the ReAura and who want support throughout their treatment. It's interesting to read what other people are experiencing and handy to be able to contact the advisors, but in all honestly, I haven't really used it that much other than for finding the telephone numbers. I do like the fact that Philips thought to put one up for those who are nervous as the ReAura can be quite an intimidating device, especially considering there's not really anything similar commercially available. I think the most useful element of the site is reading about what others have experienced as it's good to read the positive experiences and what people think of the way it feels etc. The site can be found here.

Savar Competition Redraws

Three people haven't come forward to collect their prizes so I've redrawn the comp and the 3 prizes and winners are listed below:

Energising Body Wash: Adelle Gow

1 x Luxury Sample Box: Tinkertink2010

Essential Hydration Moisturiser: Bex

Congratulations all of you! Please mail me at geek@beautygeekuk.com and I'll send out your prizes this Friday.

November Glossy Box

I have a bit of a soft spot for Glossy Box, mainly because the impression I get from their Facebook feeds is that they're trying really, REALLY hard to keep everyone happy which, let's face it, isn't going to happen; especially with a product such as a sample box that is so varied in contents. I'm still due a delivery from Boudoir Prive, but having already received the Carmine box (review here) I'd say that this month's Glossy Box isn't terrible, but isn't in the lead, both contents-wise or for value for money.

Saying that though, there are a couple of stand out products and here are the details of the contents:

Illamasqua Freak Eau De Parfum

I've written a few reviews on beauty boxes and I've found that a few times I've unintentionally led with my most favourite product first. So now I'll intentionally start with my favourite product in the box which is this perfume. I'm notoriously difficult (notorious, I tells ya; they speak of it far and wide..) to please when it comes to scents as I like something strong yet feminine, pretty without being sickly and one that packs a punch without overwhelming. I therefore currently use Jean Paul Gaultier Classique but I really loved this Illamasqua scent (fabulous name too) and as I'm so fussy, I tend not to bother seeking alternative scents as nothing ever appeals, so I'm really excited to have come across this and I'll start hint-dropping in time for Christmas. I'm rarely thrilled when these boxes include perfume samples - unless they're an add on to the contents rather than an actual sample - but I would never have considered trying out this one (I absolutely love Illamasqua make-up, but I've never come across a cosmetic brand who released a scent I liked) if it wasn't featured in this box. Freak retails for £59 for 75ml and the included sample is 1.5ml which is worth £1.18.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

I love, love, LOVE Philip Kingsley and have been using his products for ages. I especially love the Elasticizer but as it's so expensive it's one of those products I'll only buy if my hair is really playing up, or I've managed to find a decent discount. This product is a prewash conditioner, named 'Elasticizer' because it takes brittle hair back to it's healthy, stretchy self. I don't need to try this to know I'll love it, and the sample included is pretty generous; I'd say about 3 washes worth. 150ml of this retails at £25.50 and the sample included is 40ml which is also available at the Philip Kingsley site, retailing for £7.

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps

I'm not really a nail person, mainly because I play the guitar so I gave up on nice nails quite a while ago, but I like the idea of jazzing up my toenails and I've seen a lot of positive things written about nail wraps recently so I'm pleased to get the opportunity to try them myself. I hope they're as easy to apply as they sound as I am RUBBISH with anything finickity so once I give these a go, I'll write-up my experience of them. Included in this box is (I think) a full sized pack of nail transfers, which retail at £6.65.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash

I've previously used the Dead Sea Spa Magik Mask (against my better judgement as they spell 'Magic' weirdly) and I found it pretty good, if a tad tricky to remove. I'm happy it's a face wash included in the box and not a body wash or lotion as I'm much more interested in trying such products, however, I don't know if it's because I blog about these things or just a general thing, but this is one of those 'meh' products that I can't get excited about. You never know, I might be pleasantly surprised.....we'll see. Full sized, this retails for £8.80 for 150ml and included in this box is 25ml with a value of £1.46.

Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Creme

If the above product is possibly a 'meh' product then this most definitely is. Foot cream? Why?! I'm sure there are many who would be pleased to receive this and who are avid foot cream fans, but sadly I'm not one of them. Especially as it's winter now so I'm not hugely fussed about whether my feet are soft or not as I won't be showing them to anyone other than my lucky, lucky boyfriend. A 118ml full sized bottle of this costs £19 and included in the box is 15ml worth £2.42.

The total worth of this box is £18.76. I will confess that I've been a little unfair as I've very specifically worked out the value of the products in this box, whereas normally I round up, but at most I'm out a pound or two in other reviews, yet the value of the products included in this box are considerably lower than they have been in other brand's boxes. Carmine's box for this month was worth just over £60.

I really am such a fan of beauty boxes as an idea and a practice, but as it's such a new thing I think Glossy Box haven't fully got the hang of it yet; if you're going to send out very general products, they need to be amazing, but if you're going to send out less impressive products then they need to be fine-tuned to meet the needs of the receiver. Saying that, Glossy Box are, I believe, the first company to ask questions about skin/hair type and tone on sign-up, so maybe this means that person-specific boxes are in the pipeline. I'm more than happy to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that next month's box is a little more like last month's which was great. For more info on Glossy Box, click here.

Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-on Kit: Pre-Launch Tomorrow!

If you're not a fan of masochistic epilating or tedious, time-consuming shaving and prefer your hair removal to be quick and simple, then Veet's newest launch may well be of interest. The hair removal giants will be pre-launching their newest gizmo at Boots tomorrow (23/11/11), where there will be just 300 available before the official launch in January.

The idea behind this product is that you can heat the wax to the right temperature (heat opens the hair follicles so the finish is smoother and the treatment is less painful) before rolling it on to your skin and applying the waxing strip, which is pretty much what most salons do during professional waxing treatments. It has a docking station too, which keeps the wax at the same temperature until you've finished waxing. I have my fingers crossed that this product is as good as it sounds as I would be much happier waxing at home than having to trudge off to the salon each time my boyfriend insists that my legs need doing (he doesn't really, he knows not to poke the bear) so when I get my hands on one of these I'll report back with my findings.

The starter kit is £29.99 and refills are priced at £9.99, whilst the strips (pack of 24) are priced at £3.49. More info can be found here.

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

For some reason, ever since I heard about Tom Ford's plans to launch a make-up range I've been referring to it as 'Tom Hardy's Make-Up Range'. I'm fairly confident Tom Hardy has no plans to launch a make-up range (although no official sources have stepped forward to deny it, so you never know) and I fear this may just be my subconscious trying to force Tom Hardy to the forefront of my mind more regularly.

I was really looking forward to trying this brow pencil as it looked like it was a little more innovative than the usual, mainly due to the fact that the pencil itself is thin and angled which I felt would make application much easier; if you need to pencil in fake hairs to improve the density of your brows then you're best bet is to use a nib that's the same shape as a hair.

On first inspection, I wasn't blown away by this as it felt like the pencil itself was really tough. Whenever I first come across a make-up pencil my instinct is to try it on my hand to see what the colour and texture is like, but this pencil was really tricky to try out on my hand. You really have to press it down to make any kind of imprint which normally would be the sign of a poor make-up tool, but really it makes sense to have a brow pencil like this as you don't want a pencil that is thin enough to go all over the place on your brows, you want one that's going to look natural and only imprint where you really want it to.

The packaging is pretty good; it comes with an eyebrow spoolie at one end and the pen itself is quite thick which makes it easier to grip and use. The spoolie isn't ideally put together as it's a bit too close to the packaging which makes it difficult to brush all the hairs up on the brow. It's useful for quick touch-ups out and about, but not for getting your brows perfect when you first do them.

Before

After

The colour I have is the lightest one which is called Blonde. It's still quite dark, but definitely suitable for my colouring, however I'm not sure whether it might be too dark for people with very light brows. It's a very natural finish and I definitely find it easy to use now I've got the hang of it. I really prefer natural brows as opposed to heavily pencilled brows, so this pencil is perfect for me. If you like statement brows though, this might not be your best bet as I would imagine it would be quite tricky to achieve with this pencil. The best part of this pencil is the applicator nib as it makes pencilling in fake hairs really easy, so if you don't mind spending a few quid on a quality brow pencil then this is definitely worth looking into.

Final Savar Competition (NOW CLOSED)

As the last competition in the series of Savar sponsored contests, I thought it would be nice to do something a little bit special. So one lucky winner will receive a full sized Energising Body Wash and a full sized Nourishing Body Lotion, worth a total of £38.

PLUS....three runners up will also win a deluxe sample box containing a 30ml tube of Energising Body Wash, a 30ml tube of Nourishing Body Lotion and generous sample sachets of Antioxidant Night Cream, Advanced Hand Repair and Essential Hydration Moisturiser.

So there are four prizes to win in total!

As always, to be in with a chance of winning you MUST be following this blog and you can do this by clicking Join this Site on the right hand side. If you're having trouble doing this then feel free to message me at geek@beautygeekuk.com

Once you're following the blog, to be in with a chance of winning just tweet this:

"I've entered the @BeautyGeekUK competition to win some gorgeous Savar prizes! You too can enter here: http://www.beautygeekuk.com/2011/11/final-savar-competition.html "

Or you can Facebook this:

"I've entered the @Beauty Geek UK competition to win some gorgeous Savar prizes! You too can enter here: http://www.beautygeekuk.com/2011/11/final-savar-competition.html "

If you'd like some extra entries, you can also do any or all of the following:

You can follow Savar on Facebook here for one extra entry.
You can follow Beauty Geek UK on Facebook here for one extra entry.
You can follow Savar on Twitter here for one extra entry.
You can follow Beauty Geek UK on Twitter here for one extra entry.

Once you've done any or all of the above, just leave ONE comment letting me know what you've done and make sure you make it clear what name you're following my blog with. That's it! If you're unsure of anything, you can also message me by either e-mailing me at geek@beautygeekuk.com or by Tweeting me @BeautyGeekUK or even by posting a message on my Facebook wall here.

This competition will close at midnight on 4th December 2011 and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards. If the winner/s don't come forward, new winner/s will be drawn.

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