The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 7 - Weekly, What I used

Little late so my apologies for that. Its Saturday night and I'm sat in the living room, fully reclined tip tapping away at this blog whilst re-watching Ru Paul's Drag race. Watching 4 episodes of season 8 reminded of my womanly fails so I thought now was an apt time to blog again.


So what did I use this week?

As you can see from the above there's a bit of a mish mash. Pictured is a combination of store bought, free samples, old and loved favourites and Latest In Beauty bits. Lets get this show in the road and do a bit of reviewing!


Pictures above are some of my dailies as well as a couple of one offs. Of the dailies I used some of the following:

 Aldi
Silk Body Wash - 85p STEAL. I loved this but the other half didn't. He found it a little greasy however this left my skin feeling lovely and soft and the scent was luxurious. I'll be getting it again for sure
Refreshing shower gel - Even better STEAL at only 65p and again another which my other half did not like. This is described as Eucalyptus and Grapefruit scented but really I could only smell dettol and I LOVED IT!

Nivea
Rich and nourishing body cream - Affordable £5.29, I carry this in my day to day bag. Good as a staple and Nivea is always great for sensitive skin.





Tisserand
Tea tree deodorant -  I bought this from a spa place in Hastings last weekend as my its don't often smell too fresh for too long. I really liked the scent but did it stand the test this week? On a night out this week it got its real first test of a fair bit of walking but also time spent in a warm London bar in non breathable materials. It didn't fair too well I'm afraid. Regardless I'll use this on days where i will remain fairly inactive (like today) but i won't be repurchasing.


New Look
Sunglasses - £3 from asos, bought and received this week. Been told by the surgeon to wear sunglasses til November (even on cloudy miserable days) so I'm trying my hardest to get some funky looking specs. I love these and so did my manager! The seal from authority lol.


Perfumes
Marks and Spencer
Nuit Parfum - Received from my latest in beauty box, please check out my review for this on my previously blog 


 

Philosophy
Amazing grace - Received as a freebie with my Latest In Beauty box. At £33 for the full price, full sized product its unlikely I'll be getting it. Big thing i want to mention about this however is that Latest In Beauty admitted to me that they only give samples with their first order and after that one maybe one. I feel quite duped by this.






Now for some of the new products which are pictured on the left.............





Primark 
Eye Makeup remover - No link I'm afraid as Primark don't actually sell anything online. At 90p i still wouldn't recommend anyone buys this! I brought it into the office and my colleague (who has her own blog which I'd recommend you check out http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/) immediately warned me that this burned her eyes but also made the skin around her eyes sore. This has the same affect for me I'm afraid. I reported this to Primark and they are looking into this!


Lavera
Firming day cream - This was my one freebie from Latest In Beauty this week. It was a tiny one use sample however I did like this. It was a thin cream that did the job and in the morning my skin did feel a little firmer.


Primark
Micellar water - £2 for the larger size this removes makeup gently and thoroughly but not for use on your eyes.


Regenerate
Advanced Toothpaste - See my previous blog for my review

Oh yes there was a his and hers moment this week with nose strips. I bought these for my other half as he has in the past stole mine (even though I've only used these once before).


Primark
4 One - step cleansing Aloe nose pore strips - £1 as you can see from the picture. These worked well but did leave a dusty residue. I wasn't wowed so I will keep looking for alternatives.

Charcoal & volcanic ash unclog pore strips - 90p for a pack of 3.  My other half has used this twice now. He likes them and we both think these smell GREAT. I'm annoyed that it is advertised for men as just with my past strips men can use any nose strips, not just those which are advertised for just men.




Lastly below is the Makeup which i used this week:

Of the above many of these are my usual. I have only had one decent cosmetic brush which I've had since I was 14 (AND NEVER BEEN CLEANED... Gross i know), the mirror in the far right bottom corner I've had since i was 15 from the National Gallery and the Gosh foundation though barely used I've had for some time also. There's also my MAC mascara, L'oreal Eye pencil, W7 bronzer and MaxFactor Eye luminzer which i have reviewed before on my blog.

The one new product was the Green People Lip crayon which I reviewed on my last blog. Please take a look for more information.

Well that's all I have for this week. Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions on any of the above mentioned products, please comment.

Peace out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 4 - the weekly "what have I used"

When I say, "what have I used" I am not referring to drugs.... No, I am referring to what beauty products I've been using. 

Mixed bag as you can see... some more exciting than others. I did actually forget two items which are part of my daily routine, but instead I will save them and do another article on my hair care.

Starting with the most boring stuff. Sure deodorant... a classic. I have seriously sensitive skin and especially after shaving my pits cannot always take deodorant but sure is always a safe choice. My hair brush is a golden oldie from my childhood. Its lasted the years and will probably last many a year longer, The little pink ball is a lip balm which i got from a beauty calender in Paperchase. I know... not where'd you expect to get a beauty advent calender but wasn't half bad. Some of them were cheap and useless from the advent but this little lip balm was a really pleasant surprise. Refresh drops are still in use due to the dry eye post laser eye surgery. Plasters... YES plasters. These were rubbish and fell off my feet instantly. I had blisters and these did not help. Very disappointing. Dentix is a mouthwash from Aldi. We usually use a purple mouthwash from Aldi however this cool mint was alcohol free and it felt useless. The minty taste was nice to start but wore off within 2 minutes. There was no clean burn which i like from a mouthwash. Wont be getting this again. Lastly on this picture we have the Tesco Coconut and almond shampoo. All chemicals and yet unlike products such as herbal essences, doesn't bring me out in rashes and welts on my scalp. This is a shampoo I can always return to when a new shampoo causes a reaction.

To the right, are the two cleansers I have used this week. The Body shop deep cleansing facial wash I have reviewed before. This is a staple of mine which I really like and again highly rate as it doesn't give me a skin reaction.

Clarity is a on the spot redness reducer/spot skin rescue. This stuff burns but within an hour a spot is visibly smaller. As noted in my last post i used a mask which gave me a bad reaction so i really needed this last week.


Below is a cleanser i gave a go this week. I really liked this and my skin felt so great four hours after. I'd definitely consider buying this in the future and would recommend anyone to try this out, especially if they can get their hands on a free sample as i did.

That of course brings me onto the two Britney spears bottles. Left we have a personal favourite of mine which is now incidental empty, Midnight Fantasy. The other bottle was a recent birthday gift from the ol mother in law of Fantasy. These are quite sweet scent and unfortunately don't stick around on the skin for too long. Oh well.. good while it lasts.

Last but definitely not least is my small weeks worth of lotion and potions. I love Sanctuary Spa products. I find their scents delicious and the products never fail me. The lotion on the left is a real fave of mine at the moment and its over half gone. Its been a great summer favourite as the cooling lotion leaves me feeling so light and fresh before bed. The oil balm on the right is intense, so really great on elbows and knees. The lip and eye cream I've reviewed already on my first beauty blog focusing on my first latest in beauty but to reiterate, this is light on the eyes but also so effective.







I'm hoping I'll be able to order my next "latest in beauty" box next week. I'll review again when that is received.

I hope you enjoyed the article and if you have any specific queries regarding the products, please do not hesitate to ask.

Peace out ☮🕊

Life Changer - Lasik Eye Surgery Aug 2017

This year I made the life changing decision to get Laser eye surgery. My prescription wasn't particularly bad but without my glasses I felt vulnerable. To those who don't need glasses, some of my justifications may seem feeble but at the end of the day i weighed the benefits against the possible risks and cost and decided this was for me (this isn't for everyone but I'm happy to share my experience with those who may be interested).

To start let me tell the tale of when I discovered I needed spectacles. When I was 18 I passed my driving test (2nd attempt, but lets not discuss how many times I took my theory 😖), on the same day which I went to see The Spice Girl reunion in the 02 Arena, London. The weekend following I was driving my friend Ruth into town (Bromley, locally known as Brommers) when I realised I couldn't read the number plate of the car in front. I asked Ruth if she could and there the discovery was made that perhaps I should get my eyes tested. I have no idea how i did the number plate test on my test day but shockingly I passed that..... 

For a number of years following that discovery I was merely a part time wearer of glasses; only really wearing them to drive. In all truth, I was ashamed to wear them. I had plenty of friends and family who do and always have worn glasses and although as a kid I was jealous that my brother wore/needed glasses, as an adult I was gutted to need them. I'm not entirely sure why I was so against them but in 2019 came the turning point where I became too scared to continue wearing them as a part timer. I was in Magaluf with my Schlaggs (how me and the gal pals refer to each other) in the main nightclub there, BCM. Twas an 18-30 holiday and everyone in the club was wearing a BCM Tshirt and a pink cowboy hat. It was my turn to get the round in from the bar and I flashed the barman my pearly whites (and nothing else, unlike many of the other 'ladies' in the establishment that night) and was served super speedy. The down point was when I turned around to seek my friends and was hit by the realisation that without my glasses, and with everyone in the same Tshirt and hat, there was no chance of pinpointing my pals. I stood there frozen and for the first time was scared by my diminished eyesight. Luckily for me, my panic was brief as my friends were "thirsty." That 5 minute panic was enough that upon my return to Blighty, I never again went without my glasses.

Other glasses wearers often asked "why glasses and not contacts?" Well i did experiment with contacts...well i wore them sometimes. I can't really say I experimented as I have only ever tried the one brand, and although I went with a fairly up-market daily lens, it always felt like something was stuck in my eye (because there was) and I could never get used to them.

 This leads me onto the choice to do Laser eye surgery. I only knew of two people who had had eye surgery. One was a family friend who had had the treatment decades ago..... the other was a work colleague who wanted to share her experience as much as possible. I'd suggest everyone to do the same as I did.
Step 1 - Do your homework!!!! You should look into treatment choices out there. Since I chose to do go with Lasik Eye Surgery, an ex optometrist (who is the property manager in my company) has suggested Lens transplant is meant to be more successful with less risk (yay hindsight). Saying this I did a lot of research on Lasik and went with this as its less evasive, a very common treatment with a short recovery rate. You also can research cost across a number of companies as well as researching the companies themselves and ensure you find the company and surgeon for you.
Step 2 - ask around. You'll find once you get asking that there are a number of people around you who have probably had the surgery. Listen to their opinions on the surgery and the aftercare. All surgeons suggest different aftercare and remember you want aftercare catered to your needs, not a generic aftercare which suits all.....
Step 3 - Book a consultation. Don't be bullied into making a same day decision. Go to as many consultations with different surgeries as you want. I went to only one as I was happy I'd chosen the right place before I even attended the consultation.
Step 4 - Scare yourself. OK that sounds bad I know, but this is elective surgery and you should make sure you know what you're letting yourself in for. I'd recommend you search youtube for some video's on the procedure. This did scare me quite a bit BUT remember 2 really important things. 1... you will see none of what is being done to you. 2.....Its a super quick procedure (I walked out of surgery 15 minutes after walking in).
Step 5 - Make that decision! Yes or no, let the places where you attended the consultation know your final decision. "Manners maketh man"
Step 6 - Make your booking for the surgeon consult and the Op. Please note surgeons consult has a time limit, so you need to have your Op booked up soon after. The surgeon will hold the final decision on whether you're eligible for the surgery or not....Be conscious of your calender for the weeks following the Op. Ladies and some gents, you cannot wear eye makeup for 2-4 weeks following Lasik eye surgery. You also cannot do vigorous sports following the procedure for a few weeks.....
Step 7 - arrange your ride.... on the day of the operation you cannot drive yourself and its not advised to take public transport. Book a cab or get a loved one or friend to give you a lift.
Step 8 - Prepare for the 24 hours following! To start let me say I FELT NO PAIN ever during or following the procedure. I felt some discomfort from dry eye (extremely common after the Lasik procedure, but this rapidly reduced over the last month and you are given drops). After the procedure I could see.... bit blurry but I wasn't blind by any means. They ask you to wear sun glasses home and for the following 6 weeks. This is solely to prevent scarring from UV rays. Following the procedure I experienced NO light sensitivity. You will need cotton wool balls. This is to clean your eyes with cooled, freshly boiled water. One swipe per wool ball per eye. Do NOT wipe more than once and NEVER use one ball across both eyes! If one eye gets infected (didn't happen for me) it could cause infection in the other eye.
Step 9 - look forward to 20/20 vision. LESS than 24 hours after the procedure I had 20/20 vision. It was a little like looking through a Instagram filter as the edges of my sight were bright and slightly blurry, but that faded after 2 weeks.

OK so that's some suggestions. Let me tell you my experience of the procedure itself. I will be including some pictures of my eyes an hour after the procedure, so if your squeamish you may not want to read on..... You read (you better read) pages and pages of terms and conditions and possible risks. It is so important to read these all as this is elective surgery, however alot of these risks are exactly what you'd expect with any surgery. You are then read a series of questions and asked to do an on screen questionnaire. Just before the procedure itself you are asked again a series of yes and No questions to ensure you know what your getting into. Then I put blue booties over my shoes and into the surgery room I went. I was sat on a dentist style chair and apparatus 1 was moved above my head. This is used to apply suction to my eye and make the incision. It takes a minute of suction and was told at the time "your vision may go blurry".... I can tell you my vision went BLACK. That was scary but it did return as soon as suction was removed..... That is done to each eye and in the pictures at the end of this you will see it left me with some ring like love bites. These love bite rings will fade and have already mostly in the month since my Op.

 

After this, apparatus 2 was moved over my head. This is the laser.... Sounds scary and very sci fi right. The surgeon asks you to stare into the red light.... to which I immediately say "I can only see a green one".... the red one appeared moments later. He then warns me I may smell burning... to which you think "WTF??!!?!?!?!" and boy was that smell unpleasant. The laser itself lasted only 30 seconds and the surgeon counts me down which was such a relief. For the second eye I elected to hold my breath so as not to smell the burning as that honestly frightened me the most.
Laser over, the surgeon poured cold water over my eyes for a bit and that was it! I was taken to a recovery room where I immediately checked to see if I could see my phone etc and breathed a sigh of relief when I realised contrary to popular rumours (and rumour is all it is... no facts) I was not blind.

Its now been over 4 weeks and my vision is completely normal. I get a bit of dry eye, but I'm down to 3 refresh drops a day..... That's it!

I would really recommend this, but would ALWAYS suggest you read up. Don't be bullied and don't go off a friends recommendation.

If you have questions, I'm very happy to try and answer them.

Thanks for reading and if you like what you see please sign up for my updates.