Tag: Serum

Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer Serum

For the past month I’ve been using the Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer serum. I have to say I was intrigued by the name of this product but at the same time thought it was a little bit silly; Laser-free either implies that other serums contain lasers, which we know not to be true, or that it has the same results as some sort of cosmetic procedure, which I’m sure we all know is highly unlikely. I was also quite curious as to what the ‘Dragon’s blood complex’ that it contains was. Either way I was keen to see its results of this product and so I began to work the serum into my daily skincare routine morning and night.

After the first pump of this serum, I was able to see why they call the stuff in it ‘dragons blood’, as the serum does look somewhat like blood (although I cannot confirm the blood colouring of mythical creatures). It turns out that this stuff comes from a tree in the Amazon and it apparently reduces the appearance of inflammation and helps accelerate repair.

This serum is a little pricey, however a little bit does go a long way. I found that using one pump of this is enough to spread over my whole face and then an extra pump for my neck. So really you only need to use two pea sized amounts each time.

So what have I thought of this product? Well, aside from the whole silly name thing, I actually really like it. I have found that this serum leaves my skin feeling very plump and it gives it a healthy glowing look, which I love as I usually look super dull and the complete opposite of glowing at this time of year. I actually had a couple of compliments on my skins plumpness recently (this was from makeup artists if you’re wondering who would compliment someone on such a thing), so I think it could be down to this product. I’m still not about to say that the Laser-free Resurfacer Serum lives up to its claims of getting laser results but, I am impressed with it and I have been very pleased with the results that it has had on my skin, so I do give it the thumbs up.

You can shop the Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer here.

Have you tried any of the Peter Thomas Roth skincare?

Samio x

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

December 7, 2015
Creating A Flawless Future With Elizabeth Arden

My skincare routine has changed a lot recently. I turned another year older in June and although I may still look young (I hope), I know that I mustn’t take it for granted and it’s important that I take the steps now to look after my skin for the future. Now that I’m officially in my mid twenties I want to invest in skincare that can hopefully help maintain the youthful look of my skin a while longer…

A problem I often have is finding products that are exactly right for my age. I’m often drawn in by skincare products to then find that they are either for much younger or much older skin than my own, so I was excited when I discovered the Elizabeth Arden Flaweless Future range.

I don’t know about you but I usually think of Elizabeth Arden as a brand that caters for an older age range. Although I have tried a couple of their products in the past, I had never ventured into trying out their facial skincare/moisturisers, until now.

Flawless Future Caplet Serum
First of all let’s talk about the packaging. Okay, so the look of the packaging isn’t going to make the product work any better but I have to say I instantly loved the look of this, as I just think it looks so pretty. It’s the type of product you’d want to keep out on your dressing table…

Anyway, onto the important stuff. When you pump out the serum the tiny caplets inside burst as the serum is released. It has a gorgeous shimmer to it that instantly makes your skin look glowing and more radiant.

This is a serum that can be used both morning and night. However, I tend to use it just in the morning, as I love the look it gives my skin (with the ever so slight shimmer) so I personally almost feel it’s a waste wearing it for bed.

The serum has quite a runny consistency but it dries quickly once applied to the skin. Once it’s on, I can’t even feel that it’s there.

For the instant effects it certainly helps to give me a brighter looking complexion as I feel the shimmering particles within the serum help reflect the light and add a glow to my skin. For long term effects, it claims to ‘intercept early aging signs’ and ‘reduce the appearance of early signs of wrinkles’.

Flawless Future Night Cream

The night cream is luxuriously creamy. When I’ve applied it to my skin it feels instantly hydrated as it starts to sink in and work its magic.

This cream is very thick and so a little bit goes a long way. I especially feel it works great after I’ve had a hectic day and my skin requires a little extra care.

The morning after having applied this cream I can see that it has worked its magic, as it leaves my skin feeling so hydrated and plumped.

I’ve currently been using these two Flawless Future products for about three months now and I’m really pleased with them both as the two products combined have been working fabulously on my skin. I think that they are the type of products that you can easily work into your current skincare routine (as I have done). The night cream has worked a dream on my skin when it’s looking a little fatigued and the serum has fit perfectly into my routine each morning.

I’ll be keen to invest in both of these products again. More so the night cream than the serum, as I have to say that the night cream has been my favourite out of the two. They are quite pricey but I feel that for the results I have found them to have on my skin, they are worth it if you can alternate them between your other skincare products and make them last. I personally think that these are great ones to add to the Christmas wish list.

Have you tried any products from the Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future range?

Samio x

You can shop the full Flawless Future range here.

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

October 8, 2015
LookFantastic Beauty Box 1st Birthday Product Review

This month the LookFantastic Beauty Box celebrates its 1st Birthday. It’s only my second ever LookFantastic box but so far I have to say I’m rather impressed by this monthly subscription box. I think I’ve previously mentioned that I’m quite picky when it comes to trying new products in my hair but although this box contained three hair products, I actually wasn’t disappointed as the five skincare products included, more than made up for it!

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Serum and Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

Although these two samples are quite mini, I was still more than excited to see them in this box. I’ve currently been using the Caudalie Polyphenol C15 and loving it so I couldn’t wait to try these new samples.

The serum has a runny yet slightly creamy consistency. I love how it feels slightly hydrating on the skin and spreads easily. You only need a small amount which means it should last a decent amount of time too.

The sorbet comes out looking quite thick but as you apply it to your face and neck, it instantly melts into the skin. Straight away you can feel the moisture and hydration it gives to your skin which I particularly like.

I feel that the two products combined will be great for autumn/winter as the weather starts to get colder and the skin is in need of extra hydration to prevent it from getting dry. I’d be rather tempted to purchase these in full size once the samples run out, as I’m already starting to really like them.

Codage Scrubbing Cream

I love exfoliating creams/face washes at the moment. I think maybe it’s because recently I’ve discovered some really good ones and so I am enjoying the results on my skin. This one is no exception, as I feel that the tiny rice particles inside it are perfect for scrubbing away dead skin and it leaves my skin feeling really smooth. I’ve actually only used this a couple of times, as I want to save it to take away with me on holiday next month. This 25ml tube will be the perfect size for taking on my travels.

Tanworx Tan Maintainer

I’m not entirely sure if this product is meant to add colour to your skin but it does say it is meant to prolong your tan. I am going to use this after my sunny holiday away in October and see how I find it then. If it helps me maintain a bit of my holiday glow into the winter I will be very happy.

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

I have to admit I wasn’t super excited when I first tried this product, as it is just a face wash after all but now after using it a few times, I’m rather starting to like it. It has been leaving my skin feeling clean and fresh. Again this will be the perfect size for me to take away on holiday, so I best stop myself from using it too much before I go!

Sebastian Professional Penetraitt Shampoo and Penetraitt Conditioner

Like I said, I do like to stick to the same products when it comes to what I put in my hair but as this stuff smelt really nice, after a bit of research I decided to give it a go. It actually worked through my hair great and although I won’t be converting to the full size just yet, these miniatures will come in handy for when I’m going to the gym or travelling.

Phytokeratine Extreme Cream Conditioner

I don’t think that this one will be a regular go to product for me. I did try it out once, just to give it a go but although it is meant for damaged, dry hair, I feel it’s probably not best for my hair type. It smells good though and it will probably be great for European hair types.

Overall I have loved this month’s LookFantasitc Beauty Box. With only one product out of eight that I don’t think I’d use again, I think I’ve done rather well. I’ve discovered a few new gems that I think I’ll be purchasing in the future too. So I have to say that for me, September’s Beauty Box has been a success.

…I almost forgot to mention that this month’s Beauty Box also includes £40 worth of vouchers with £10 off when shopping online in stores including Allsole, My Bag and Coggles.

Do you have a LookFantastic Beauty Box subscription? What do you think of it?

Samio x

You can sign up for the Look Fantastic Beauty Box subscription here.

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

September 23, 2015
My New & Improved Skincare Routine – Brands From Abroad

I have been introduced to so many new skincare products recently and my entire skincare routine has been given a total revamp! It’s something that I’d been wanting to do for a while as I knew that due to my skin changing (age wise) and the seasons changing, I wasn’t getting the best results from my previous routine and so it was time to switch things up.

I always like to try products for a couple of weeks before giving my verdict but after a couple of months I can say that these products have become firm favorites as part of my new skincare routine.

Gatineau Peeling Expert Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Cream

First up is the Gatineau Peeling Expert Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Cream (or as I like to call it, face scrub). I wasn’t sure about this product when I first used it, as the ‘micro-beads’ felt quite soft and didn’t feel like they were really scrubbing and exfoliating the skin like some face scrubs do – This is probably where I’d previously been going wrong using rougher face scrubs – as after a couple of time of using this product, I realized that it didn’t need to feel like it was ‘scrubbing’ my skin at all. The Peeling Expert’s gentle exfoliation was all I needed to help exfoliate, smooth and brighten my skin.

For the past two months I’ve been using the Gatineau Peeling Expert two times per week and it’s helped to keep my skin feeling smooth and looking bright without being harsh on my skin.

Astalift Brightening Serum

The Astalift brightening serum is one of my favorites. I mentioned it in a previous post here, so I won’t go into too much detail but I’ve been using this morning and night now for the past couple of months and my complexion has never looked more even. My blemishes have been massively reduced and overall I feel this product gives my skin a fabulous radiance.

Caudalie Polyphenols C15 Broad Spectrum Spf 20 Anti-Wrinkle Protect Fluid

Other than winning the award for longest title – The Caudalie Polyphenols C15 also contains SPF 20, so it’s a great for daily application to help protect the skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid which helps to plump the skin and smooth out any fine lines. It’s super light weight, smells amazing and smooths on easily to the face and neck making my skin feel super fresh in the mornings.

It is meant to be used as moisturizer alone but on days when my skin feels dry, I like to add a creamier moisturizer on top. I love that this one protects my skin against UVA and UVB radiation though, so I currently like to use this every morning.

Embryolisse lait-crème concentré

Finally the embryolisse lait-crème concentré is another skincare product that I recently reviewed here on my blog. This stuff is amazing for when I need to add instant hydration to my skin. It’s great to use as an everyday moisturizer and for me it’s been the perfect combination to apply it after the Caudalie Polyphenols C15, to help prep my skin ready for makeup.

I’ve been loving my new skincare routine, so much so that I’ve been enjoying plenty more makeup free days as my skin has been looking far more radiant.

Do you like to update your skincare routine occasionally? Which skincare products have you been loving recently?

Samio x

To shop any of these products click the titles highlighted in pink.

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

August 12, 2015
Astalift Brightening Serum by Fujifilm – Review

My obsession with skincare is forever growing and therefore my want to try new products seems to be never ending. Although I have some of my regular go to face products, I’m always keen to discover more and one product I’ve been trying out recently is Astalift Brightening Serum .

The Astalift packaging is quite simple; it comes boxed and both the product and the box have a pearlescent sheen that catch your eye as it hits the light but other than that it’s rather modest. I’d say it’s a lot less ‘showy off’ than most products and doesn’t boast a load of product claims on the front of the bottle. In a way, I think that this made me more intrigued by the Astalift serum – that and the fact that it’s created by Fujifilm.

On the back of the box it says that the Astalift Brightening Serum ‘restores firmness and radiance’ and ‘reduces the appearance of dark sports and evens out skin tone’ and it instructs to apply to the face morning and night before face cream… When pumped, the serum comes out as an orange translucent liquid. When applied to the face, one pump is enough and it spreads easily onto the face and neck before quickly drying.

After only a few days of using the Astalift serum morning and night, I had already started to notice a difference. I feel that this product has visibly helped to even my completion, stop it from looking sallow and given my skin a more radiant look.

I’ve been really pleased with the Astalift serum since introducing it into my skincare regime as I have noticed the positive effects it has had on my skin. It is slightly pricey but I’d say that if you’re looking to invest in a good facial serum (especially if you have older skin or pigmentation/blemishes) and fancy treating yourself, then this is a good one to go for.

Have you tried any of the Astalift skincare products? If so, what did you think? I’d be keen to try more.

Samio x

Shop Astalift Brightening Serum here.

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

July 15, 2015
Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Serum

Recently I had the chance to try out Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Serum. The reason I actually ended up trying this product is because I’d stayed over at my friend’s place the night before and hadn’t brought any hair products with me to style my hair the next day. My friend has straight hair so I thought I was going to have a bit of a dilemma when it came to maintaing my curls but after I used the Organix Serum, I was really pleased with the results.

I did a regular wash using shampoo and conditioner before applying this product. I generally leave a small amount of conditioner in my hair after washing (so I never fully rinse out the product). After having my hair wrapped in a towel for some time, I took it off my hair and applied the Organix Serum. Whilst my hair was still damp. I used a hair dryer to dry my hair and once my hair was fully dried I was very happy with the outcome. I didn’t use a huge amount of product and yet it still left my hair looking super glossy yet soft to the touch. It leaves the hair feeling non-sticky which is great and also makes it ideal for use on straight hair too.

Samio x

May 18, 2014