The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 19 - The weekly list (which is becomming less regular)

Apologies to anyone who is actually keeping regular tabs on this blog trying to read some of my more regular updates, for which there havent been many. I'd say life got in the way but actually i have very little on my plate at the moment, especially in comparison to how it's been the rest of this year. Just had some time to myself so spent it with me, myself and I.


Well onto the main topic of this article. Let us begin with the new stuff:

 
I'm sorry to say that even over a week theres not much to show for it on the new side of things however these two newbies are massive winners for me so hopefully that makes up for the lack of variety.


Soaper Duper - Rich and creamy shea butter body wash
I am in LOVE with this body wash.This came with my cosmopolitan latest in beauty box which i am still yet to review however for sure this was the best item in the box. The smell is delicious but i struggle to put into words why i find the smell so enticing. This leaves a wonderful scent on your skin without making it irritated (for new readers, i have Psoriasis and Eczema so struggle to find body washes). The texture of this is light and comes out very fluid. I would love to buy this again but it is more expensive than i'd usually buy.

Currently available in Tesco for £4.33


Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser
I recieved this in my Latest in Beauty (my own picks) recently. I chose this as it was the best rated exfoliating cleanser in thier selection however i was unsure as it's been available as a choice for some time which indicates it was perhaps unpopular (average review doesn't reflect lots of reviews, just mainly good ones). I am happy to report that this didn't disapoint. My skin feels better after use and seems a lot clearer. Until i choose myself a decent moistouriser it is hard to judge enitrely how well this is working. I am however happy that i recieved another bottle of this cleanser with another box as reviewed here which means i get to use this for even longer. Sadly to say the full price product is fairly expensive meaning once these bottles are gone i may not purchase again. Saying that this has lasted me almost 2 weeks and this is a small bottle.....

£35 per bottle



Now for the empties:

Rosie for Autograph - Nuit Parfum
Recieved as a part of latest in beauty box I was excited to try this when it came however upon reciept i was sorely disapointed. My hope was to use this as an alternate perfume for work, which i did use however i really found the scent old fashioned and too flowery. I won't be trying this again but it would make a great present for someones nan.

Available at marks and spencers for £28

 

The Body Shop - Satsuma body wash
Smells beautifully fresh but doesnt leave much of a lasting scent. I've used this before and reveiwed this before because it is one of my favourites. Always an added bonus that The body Shop are against animal testing.

Not currently available online but is usually £5 in store


Aldi - Dentix 6 in 1 Mouthwash
I've reviewed this before but as always i was impressed with this mouthwash. This really leaves long lasting minty freshness but also makes my teeth feel great.

Absolute steal at only 95p


Rituals - Ritual of Sakura foaming shower gel
I tried this out in Belgium and didn't like it. I tried it again when i came back and i really don't like it. Not only do i find the scent inattractive but also this made me sting in.... lets say some sensitive areas... YES... there. This product is fairly expensive for an everyday product but also it irritated my skin quite badly. Never again. I also reveiwed this product here.

Available for £8.50 from the rituals site.


Well the Mr has no input this week so in the famous words of Looney Tunes "thats all folks".

Peace out ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 14 - Whats new? Whats used?

Quite a bit of newness this week, some empties and also a return to a product which I've already reviewed.

Lets start with goodbyes with some empties:

Tesco - Coconut & Almond Milk Shampoo
A golden oldie for me. I've mentioned before but i have a sensitive scalp and often my scalp has reactions. On top of that with my super fine and soft hair, if a shampoo leaves too much of a residue then often my head is left a greasy mess. At 80p I'll be getting this again and again.


The body shop - Tea Tree Cleansing Toner
 I've reviewed this before but I got this from The Ashford Retail Outlet for a steal. I've been using this after my cleanser and its really helped to clear up my recent break out (sounds very prison break when in reality i mean SPOTS). I will be getting this again to be sure.


Avon - Sweet Vanilla Bubble Bath
Sold out on their site but you can purchase other festive shaped bubble baths so take a look if you want. I wouldn't suggest it as i have mentioned here, and here. To reiterate my prior post this smelled great in the bottle but didn't smell at all outside of the bottle.



Ok enough of the old, in with the new:

Balanceme - Pure Skin Face Wash
This is my favourite newbie of the week. I got this in my Birchbox this month and i am impressed. I'll start with the best part. It rubs on and washes off quickly and leaves my skin feeling great. I must go on again about sensitive skin but its my blog, so deal with it! This does not irritate my skin at all and leaves me feeling glorious. Now the bad bit. Looks and feels like spunk! Sorry to those who ma be insulted by me bringing up bodily fluids but that's the case. The smell is also kind of chemical for a product which claims to be 99% natural? Regards less of smell, look and texture I am loving this product!

Aldi - Mighty Shampoo
Another product which admittedly i have tried before but well worth a revisit. This moisturises better than my tesco usual but without leaving a residue which will grease up my hair. This smells delicious too which is always great for a shampoo. People don't be put off by store brands. Aldi especially are upping their game and playing against the big boys. So far there isn't a product of theirs i haven't been impressed by.

Rituals - Ritual of Sakura
My colleague seemed excited when i got this in my Tilli box however i wasn't that impressed. The smell is quite old fashioned and not a scent i like. The texture is odd. This is a gel which foams... but not that foamy sometimes and sometimes too foamy. There's no balance. I basically used the whole canister in two washes which is ridiculous.

No.4 - Lumiere D'hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect
What this incredibly long name is meant to tell us is spray which makes it easy to comb (or brush) and protects from heat (should you choose to dry your hair). I air dry my hair so protect i do not need. With my thin, fine hair it does get tangled and does need help. This spray does work to help with my issue HOWEVER it does no more than my Aldi brand. Aldi version is much cheaper so i really wouldn't buy this again nor would i recommend this.






Lastly my other half has asked me to revisit my review on a new product he tried out last week (and is still using). I shall call this sections "He has an opinion on everything":

 The other half wanted to again reiterate that he liked the scent ALOT however he has found a design floor in this bottle. He claims that its incredibly hard to get the wash out the bottle which is frustrating for him as he really does like this product. Pity its so expensive.....



That's all folks. No more new, old, empties or revisits.


Hope you have enjoyed this article and if you have suggestions please do let me know.


Peace out ☮🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 11 - Weekly, what have I used.

Going to try a new direction with the weekly "what have i used". I feel like I'm posting the same things every week because being realistic, it takes a while to get through a shower gel/Soap/shampoo/conditioner. Its not so exciting to show you the same thing over and over again. Instead let me show you new things, old favourites and used items.



So in with the new:



Above are three of the new products I've been trying out this week.

On the left we have Simple hydrating light moisturiser  which is something which I've Incorporated into my daily routine. This is such a light cream that it soaks in quickly and remains lightly on the skin (until your natural oils replace it). The only thing which could improve this would be if they could do something with the scent or lack there of. I'm a massive fan of the clean Nivea cream scent and have come to expect a fresh smell on a moisturiser.

In the middle is the Avon Sweet Vanilla bubble bath. It was our (oh the Mr do love a bubble bath) first time trying this out tonight and the scent is strong in the bottle but weak out of the bottle (and in the bath.... obviously). Would i recommend this? I wouldn't recommend anything from Avon as i did not enjoy their website experience nor their customer services (see my rage page article for further information regarding my customer service experience). This was however super cheap so get it while it lasts if you want some cheap bubble bath....

Lastly on the right is the L'occitane Supple skin oil. I've been using this in the morning and at night on and around my nails. I've been using this less than a week but can really see an improvement on the skin around my nails. I've even convinced the Mr to let me use this on him. I'm hoping if his skin around his nails is less rough, it may stop him chewing his nails. We'll see........

To the left is a new Shampoo to the Mr but an old friend to me. This the Aldi's Hydration Shampoo. Another super bargain. This shampoo has a sumptuous scent (so great I'd love to eat it). Hydration is in the name and hydration  is what it does. I tried this out previously when i was regularly showering at the gym (I haven't stopped showering, I've stopped going to the gym instead) but for me this was TOO hydrating. After a month of use i found it was leaving too much of a residue on my hair meaning that my hair was greasy even after washing. I do have super soft hair and when the Mr asked for a shampoo conditioner combo I thought this could do the job for him. He seems to like it and I'm using it once or twice a week which is agreeable with the delicate fine hair i have.

On the right is the Crabtree & Evelyn moroccan myrrh hair and body wash. This is another newbie for my mister. I bought this in the January sales from T K Maxx for a steal at only £3 (you can see I've poorly attempted to peel the labels off which is why i know the price still). I was unsure that he would like the scent but he seems pleased. Although it can be used on the hair and scalp, he is using this only as a body wash. I find it quite an old fashioned scent which is why I'm shocked that the other half likes it. He does surprise me still even after 7 years....








That ends the new stuff. Sad but true......


Onto the empties. 

Looking around online, empties seem to be a big thing among beauty bloggers. I'm not sure if its a sign of  "I've used the whole product so can review this fully" or a mark of pride almost like a trophy to say "i told you i had this and was trying it out".  Well here are my empties from this week:

My empties are the Shay & Blue perfume which i received in my Tili box recently. It was a small size so didn't last me very long. When i saw that the scent was blood orange i was worried as I'm not a fruity perfume person usually. Again when i sprayed a small amount in the lid i wasn't blown away. Perfume will always smell differently on each individual and once on my skin i really loved this!


The second empty is the The body shop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash. As mentioned before in my blogs this came from the Ashford retail outlet. I really loved this and it left my skin feeling really refreshed. I'd be tempted to get this again!







Lastly for this article i really wanted to share my hand wash. I know strange thing to want to share....

The handwash bottle is from Debenhams but it was some time ago so i couldn't say what make and price it was. Sorry too long ago and that really wasn't the point of me including this. I was running low on handwash and my other half had invited a friend over. I added my new handwash to the top of the old and its created this awesome mix effect which you can see a little in the picture but trust me when i say, its much better in person.

This mix is a mix of Aldi's Bubblegum handwash and Detol antibacterial handwash. The bubblegum wash was super awesome smelling and the scent stayed on your skin for some time. I worry about going cheap on a handwash as you want it to do its job....clean. The detol wash i cannot say anything about as its mixed with the old wash.....





Well that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed and if you did please do follow me!

Peace out 🕊☮ 

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 9 - A weekly "what have i used"?

Its been a while. Busy week, busy mind, not really had the time to write a blog. I haven't forgotten so here's my weekly used bits:

 There are a number of repeats so I'll take us through some of these as logically as I can.

On right are three the body shop products I used this week. I purchased all of these from the Ashford Retail Outlet. This outlet is well worth a visit for any bodyshop fan. I got the two smaller bottles for £1.25 each and the bigger bottle was part of a set which was also heavily reduced (sorry but it was a while ago and I really cannot recall the price on this).

I have reviewed the two smaller bottles before but below are the links in case you haven't read my previous blogs:

Seaweed Facial wash - £7.50 full price

Tea Tree Cleansing Toner - £6.00 full price 

NEW to the list:

Moringa Shower Gel - £5.00 full price. I found this to be quite moisturising, leaving my skin a little greasier than I'd like. The scent isn't really doing much for me either. As noted above i did get this as a set and I loved some of the other scents that came before this.

Both of those on the left are from Avon. If you read my blog on Customer Service you will know i recently placed my first order with them and fell out of love very quickly due to their terrible customer service team.

Displayed on the left are two of the products of which I purchased in my order.

The Bubble bath was not a winner for me. It bubbled as it should and was gentle on the skin but the scent was so old LADY. Still at £1.50 I'm not heartbroken over the purchase.

The Lip Balm on the other hand was a big win! I get really chapped lips and this was great for just before bed, lasting all the way til morning or first thing in the morning, lasting me til my first coffee. Once again this was a steal at only £2.20 I would like to suggest to readers to go out and get this. I say "would like to" as due to their customer service and super slow delivery I would suggest anyone to shop with them. Sad as there are so many great products!

On the right are two Lacura products. Lacura is the cosmetic/beauty make from Aldi.

I mentioned before that I prefer this purple mouthwash and after using it after the last one I can confirm this is still a solid favourite. At only £0.95 I'm not sure why everyone isn't using this?!?!

The other item is a lime shower gel bought for my other half but I wanted to give it a go as it smelt so edible. Once again an absolute steal at only £0.65 and so much better than similar products I've tried in this scent from other superstores. Well worth a try if you have an Aldi near by.

So many snub Aldi and the alike economy/own brand products. I would really urge people to give these products a whirl! You could really save some pennies without making any sacrifices!

Yep. Its those guys again. Sanctuary Spa is a make which I use daily. Their products always do as it says on the tin and the scents are DIVINE!

I have reviewed these both before and if you are thinking of purchasing from the company directly, or via boots, expect to pay the matching price tag. If you want a bargain however T J Hughes always has a great selection of their products as well as many other well known brands.

I found T J Hughes entirely by accident. When I moved to Maidstone I had a stroll round the shops and found this gem. Its brilliant and I have since introduced my family to this wonder. Their website isn't as varied so I'd urge you to visit your local store to check for bargains!

This a two new things for me rolled into one. I'd never heard of this brand and nor had I tried a foam cleanser. I purchased this from my favourite T J Hughes store as noted above for a bargain £1.99. This can be found on their website here.

Its noted on the bottle that there are moisturising benefits to this and that it can be used everyday. With the exception to today I have used it and unfortunately I have more spots and blemishes than ever. This could be due to the makeup I wore twice in the week, or could be due to stress in my life HOWEVER it hasn't helped as it should have. Ironically in gaining spots in places on my face which are usually clear, the blemish spots i usually have on my cheek have disappeared since using this. Swings and roundabouts ay?

To the right you will see two products both of which came in my Tili Box from QVC.

This was my first box from QVC and it didn't disappoint. It isn't a subscription and there are no surprises. You buy the box as seen and they aren't even regularly released. Its a case of being in the know or keeping your eye out.

Of the two on the right I could actually pick a favourite.

The Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat promises to be a nail strengthener and conditioner. This couldn't have come at a better time as I'd recently had two sets of gel nails and I'd peeled the last set off, just as the nail technician told me not to do. This really did work as nice recovery for my nails. At £23.50 it is steeply priced. I'm unsure if I'd purchase this again simply due to the price. Pity.

The Shay & blue perfume was a surprise. I knew I was relieving this as stated already, but I didn't expect to like it. The Scent is Blood orange which is a little sharp and slightly sweet. Its a lovely scent and lasts well! I think it's quite a summery scent and would have done better in a summer edition box. At only £49 a bottle however, this is cheaper than most perfumes and I'd definitely consider buying this again.

Below is everything I received in my Tili Box. I will get round to reviewing eventually, I promise!

Last but not least we come to how did I wash this week. Well I have had a couple of reactions this week (not sure what to, and often am never sure) so I went for a fairly simply soap.

This Culticura soap was purchased from Fragrance direct for £1.49. It has an old fashioned scent and as advertised is gentle on the skin. For my this is great as it doesn't dry out my skin but does get my skin squeaky clean without leaving any residue.



Well that's all I have this week. I hope you've enjoyed and if you have any tips or questions, please to let me know.


Until next time. Peace out! ☮🕊

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 ☮🕊