Laser Hair Removal with Sk:n Clinic Newcastle.

So...this is kind of embarrassing to blog about, but I know I'm not the only one out there who's suffered or is suffering with embarrassing facial hair as a woman!

Since I was around 12 and the hormones kicked in I started to get a bit of a hairy face, and as my colouring is quite fair skin with dark hair, it was obvious in some places, especially above my upper lip. I tried everything to remove the hair or make it less obvious and nothing really worked for me. Waxing and threading hurt like hell! hair removal creams burned my skin and bleach didn't really help the problem too much, and those twirly, springy, stick things are just torture implements. Around a year ago, I also started to notice more hair on my chin, and around 6 months go, my jawline. 

Lucky for me, I did also discover last year that I have polycystic ovaries. Side effects of PCOS can include, but are not limited to; irregular periods, weight gain, fertility problems, oily and acne prone skin, and yep, you guessed it! excessive hair growth, to all the areas as women we don't want it (body, face, etc) and hair loss from areas we do want it, like our heads! PCOS is a condition that is best treated with weight loss, but it also makes it harder to lose weight, so I am working on that, but from what I've read, issues such as the body hair or hirsutism as it may be called, don't tend to lessen with weight loss as much as other symptoms. I am quite lucky that I only really suffer with hair I would call excessive on my upper lip, chin and jawline, as some women really struggle with it on areas such as their backs, bellies, bum, and even the chest.

I'd toyed with the idea of laser hair removal since I knew it existed. I've thought about those home devices but never really felt they could be as good as getting it done in a clinic (I just don't think they'd let you keep a powerful laser at home!) and I decided to go for it! around a week ago, I had my first appointment. I'm not planning to post up pictures of my treatment as I go, it's one thing to talk about my hairy man face, but another to show you all it! However, I will be sharing the before and after photos when my treatments are over, and probably some as I go along too. I have booked a course of 8, which will take place every 4 weeks. I considered all the options but decided to go with Sk:n Clinic, after all they are the leading clinic in the UK for non surgical treatments and started out offering laser hair removal before adding in other treatments. Now, I'm not going to lie, laser hair removal is a very, very expensive treatment! and prices and more information about how laser hair removal works, and how it's different to IPL can be found here. Sk:n do offer various special offers throughout the year so if you're looking into having this treatment, do have a look around and see if you can find a deal.

So, there is my ultra embarrassing post on laser hair removal and why I'm getting it. Look out for my review of treatment one and my first impressions! I'm sorry about the lack of my own photos, but I really don't like the idea of sharing my hairy man face with you all!

All images found from google. 

Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation Review

Confession? I hate buying foundation. I'm pale, have combination but dehydrated skin and it's just no fun at all for me to find something that works.

I've tried everything, from cheap high street foundation to Chanel and everything in between and I think I'm yet to find the perfect foundation! but this, is pretty damn close.

I decided that I'd try Bobbi Brown, they do lighter colours than other brands and have many formulations. I went in with the intention of walking out with Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, as that's my desired look with foundation, my skin, but perfect, without looking fake. The lovely lady on the counter talked to me about my skin and what I wanted from my foundation  she said that Skin would be too lighter coverage for me and that Moisture Rich would be a better option. 'Moisture Rich!?' I thought to myself 'Surely it'll just slide off' but I asked to try it anyway, and see what I thought. I often fall in love with the way I look at the counter when I'm buying things, only to get it home and find that I hate it! So I left empty handed to examine my face under better lighting and see what I thought of the colour and look of the foundation, and I was quite impressed. 

The foundation offers medium coverage but can be built up to full. My skin sucks it up minimally and it does last a good amount of time on my skin, when set with a powder. At first, it feels too matte when set with a powder but 10 minutes on and my skin looks quite glowy and natural, like the foundation has settled. The coverage looks natural, while still hiding all my flaws, without looking like a mask. I prefer to apply this foundation first on the back of my hand and then dot it onto my face, and use a brush like the Sigma F80 or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to blend it in. 

The downsides of this product are few, but they could be deal breakers for some. The bottle it's self glass, which isn't a big downfall for me but could be if you often have to travel, I wouldn't have enjoyed bringing this foundation to my boyfriends when we were living apart as I feel I'd probably end up breaking it on the train down. The other downside of the bottle is that it's a pour out lid, now the foundation it's self is thinner than MAC Studio Fix Fluid, which can go through a pump, and some other Bobbi Brown foundations are packaged with a pump, so the fact that this one isn't is a bit of a downside for me. The other issue I have with this foundation is the colour, I have the shade 'Porcelain' which is a nice colour, a touch too dark for my skin, but currently I can get away with it, however in the winter when I turn so pale I look sort of blue, I think it's going to be much too dark. This wouldn't be an issue, if Bobbi Brown hadn't stopped selling their lighter shade 'Alabaster' in the UK, which seems a weird choice as you'd think, over here in the UK, the land with no sun, pale foundations might be a good move!

This foundation also photographs nicely, with minimal flashback! 

Overall, I find this to be a good, medium coverage foundation that feels nice and light on the skin and looks natural, while still hiding all my flaws, however the packaging isn't ideal and I hate brands that don't sell their full range of shades in the UK as well as the USA. I really enjoy using this foundation and think it's the best I've used to date, however I'm always on the quest for better! I also feel this foundation acted as a gateway drug for me into more Bobbi Brown products and I have since spent quite a lot of money on their products, and really enjoy them! I have my eyes on their brand new 'Luminous Moisture Treatment Foundation' as it sounds perfect for me and they do the Alabaster shade!

Smashbox Photofinish Primer Review

I've completely, 100% used up this product, so I think I can give a pretty good review of this.

I decided to buy this primer before I started college last September and it lasted me until around March, I didn't buy the full-size, but instead the travel size. It cost £12.50 from boots. When deciding to get one, I was faced with the challenge of choosing which one. I've always heard that for acne-prone skin that the photofinish light was great for my skin, and I thought the hydrating one might be something for me as I also have dehydrated skin, so thought that the Hydrating version would be for me. After going through the options with the sales assistant, I decided to buy the original and give it a try, and then I could try a different one if I didn't like the original. 

The packaging is nice, it's sleek and my travel size is perfect for travelling and ml for ml, it's not much more expensive than buying the full-size, as mini's often can be. The only thing I have to say about the packaging is that towards the end of the product, it becomes quite a challenge to get it out of the bottle, however I did think that mine had reached the end a few times, only to be surprised that more could come out. 

I apologise for reusing the photo, but mine is grubby, empty, bent out of shape and topless!

In terms of the effects, I felt this primer gave me a good base for make up, it was smoothing  so helped foundation glide on and sit nicer on my skin. I also think I have quite enlarged pores on my cheeks (my Mum says this is in my head though) and this product has a soft-focus effect on them, making them look smaller. The silicone feeling helps my foundation stay on rather than being sucked up by my dehydrated skin and I'm pretty sure that this has a big impact on helping my make up last longer. Overall I enjoyed using this primer, I really like using primers and felt that this one made a big different. It's texture reminds me of a primer which GOSH makes, which costs the same amount of money but for around double the product, however my skin didn't agree that and it caused my skin to break out and I had more clogged pores than usual. The Smashbox primer didn't do this to my skin and I didn't notice it make any difference, good or bad to my actual skin. 

Now, the question is would I buy it again? I think I would buy a smashbox primer again, maybe not this specific one as I think I'd quite like to try out their hydrating one, or the Laura Mercier Hydrating one to see which I like better.

So a question to you all, when it comes to foundation primer, do you do or don't? I'm definitely in camp 'do'! 

Wishlist #1

At the moment, I'm craving new things. Maybe this is to do with starting university so I'm feeling an element of 'new academic year, new season, new start' (Gosh, I hate it when people say that!) and I just want to start a fresh with some of my beauty and skincare products, so here's a wish list!

1. Clarisonic Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head £21

I'm in dire need of a new brush head for my clarisonic, I don't use mine too regularlly but I'm starting too, and after watching Suzy from Simply Suzy I decided that I needed this one, having only used the sensitive one and as Suzy uses the same cleanser as me, I really want to try out her combo of cleanser and brush head. I think I'm also going to do an in depth review of my Clarisonic as it's one of those love it or hate it, is it worth the money products.

2. Origins Drink Up Mask £22

I've heard loads about this mask and my friend Lisa from bought this and mentioned it in her blog post on 'The Triple Threat Face Mask' I really want it! I think I'm going to try track down the smaller size of this and see how I get on with it. I have combination skin but I find the oily, spotty side of my skin much easier to deal with than the dehydration!

3. Tom Ford Shape and Illuminate £55

After hearing much about this product I just SO want to try it! I love to contour and prefer creams and I'm yet to find the perfect highlight but this product looks pretty much perfect. I wonder, that opening the door to Tom Ford Beauty is going to be an dangerous idea, especially considering I could walk from uni to the counter, as the metro station is in Fenwicks...oh dear!

4. Alpha H Liquid Gold £31.50

I think I just need this! after feeling like I've pretty much perfected my basic skincare, but I still feel like I need a few extras to get my skin in tip top condition and my main issue with my skin is the texture, and this promises to help! After hearing about this for months, I think I'm ready to take the plunge!

5. Illamasqua Nail Polish in 'Facet' £14.50

I love nail polish, but I'm a nail biter and useless at painting my nails. After recently getting gel nails and loving them (my nails are so strong and lovely underneath too!) I'm starting to love painting my nails, I love colours like this, OPI Metro Chic is my all time favourite polish and I think this polish looks just as beautiful! 

So here it is, these are some of the things I'm craving at the moment, what things are you currently lusting after?

The Need For Something New

Now, I don't know about you, but I constantly crave new products. Even when I'm happy with what I'm using I always want new. I always think there must be better out there! So here's my list of what I'm lusting after right now

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

My skin, although is often now free of blemishes, always seems clogged and bumpy, with a  horrible texture that never seems to go away and it looks horrible! I've heard this mask mentioned a few times and for the price of £30, it may soon be mine! I've heard great things about REN, so I really want to give this a go.

Illamasqua Powder Blush in 'Katie'

This was actually one of my first ever Illamasqua purchases, I think I got this for Christmas in 2010. I used it almost every time I wore make up, until I hit pan, the remaining product then crumbled and I couldn't use it anymore, but since we parted ways earlier this year I really miss it! nothing quite gives me that glow and lasts as long as this does. It costs £18 (Does anyone else remember when Illamasqua blushes were £15!)

Hydraluron 

Hydraluron needs no introduction. After hearing Caroline Hirons rave about this product back in August, I've wanted it! My skin is chronically dehydrated and I don't know why, but this product promises to help! I'm up for anything that could improve the texture of my skin, and more hydration can hardly hurt can it? this is priced at a reasonable £24.99

Chantecaille Just Skin 

This tinted moisturiser has nothing but rave reviews, it promises good coverage and a light feel, I've looked at it and felt the texture many times in SpaceNK but I'm yet to try it out, partly because I'm scared I'll love it, and at a whopping £57 it may just be way to much money for me to ever justify, even to myself! Maybe a Christmas present...

Kerastase Ciment Thermique

After running out of my beloved Necter Thermique in July, I've struggled on with different products but none are quite as good, nor seem to be as good for my hair, as my hair is starting to get much longer, and I have plans to change the colour in December (I know, I plan ahead!) I need to look after my hair much better than I am now. This is supposed to strengthen your hair from the inside out and protect it from heat styling, while making it smooth and soft to the touch, which all sounds pretty good to me! This costs around the £18 mark.

So that's what I'm currently wishing for, what are you currently after?

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind

Back in April, I decided to change up my skincare. I had unhappily using Liz Earle for a few months with no results, and wanted my skin to look great for my trip to the Netherlands with my Mum that month, so I decided to try Clarins.
First, my skin. My skin is combination, I can get a teeny bit of shine during the day but that's it, I'm also acne prone and I get horrible clogged pores. My skin is also dehydrated even though I drink a shedload of water.

Clarins is a brand I had never really been a big fan of, I thought they were a bit boring and outdated on the make up side so I never really had a good look at them, but my Mum suggested to me that we have a look and I could see if there was anything I'd like. The first thing I loved was that they gave out samples! I've wasted so much money on loads of products that didn't work for me or made my skin worse, so I was so happy to get samples of the products. 
The sample of this cleanser lasted me about 4 days and honestly, using the products together made a huge difference to my skin! it was amazing, my skin looked brighter and clearer almost straight away, I've tried different things since and this is definitely what keeps my skin clear.

The cleanser is a thick cream consistency, it also has these little blue beads that 'pop' when you rub it into your skin, they're not at all exfoliating. I just rub the cleanser onto my dry face until the beads have popped, then add a little water to allow it to foam up, and remove it with a flannel or muslin cloth (whichever, I don't mind!). After my face feels super clean and all make up is removed, although I do always cleanse twice, this tube has lasted me since April and is starting to get super hard to get it out of the tube! It's amazing and makes such a difference to my skin, my skin is clear 80% of the time now, when I always used to have at least one or more spots. I've tried another cleanser since and my skin started to break out again, I'm so sure that it's this product that keeps my skin nice.

The only thing that it doesn't do, is help with my horrible congested pores, but I'm yet to find anything that does, so if you have any recommendation for a product that helps, let me know!

This cleanser costs £17.50 in store, but I found it online for £15.75