Mybeautywaxstash

Tag: skin republic

  • My Budget Friendly Christmas Gifts For My Friends

    It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow. Seeing people shop till they drop even today doesn’t surprise me. It’s called working in retail, you see it all! Am I a last minute shopping kind of girl? Nope. When I was younger, occasionally, but not anymore. I like to plan, prepare and execute the act of gift giving well before the event. So, I try to pick up things months before when they are on special offer, pop them away and bring them out closer to a birthday or Christmas. And this is what I did for 2 out of the 3 gifts below.

    Candle & Salt Rock Tea Light Holder

    Both of these were purchased from Home Bargains and these will be given to my neighbour. I bought these because I know my neighbour is house proud, and loves to use things in her home to create fragrances e.g oils and wax melts. And I know she’s very particular when it comes to how things look so I thought the tea light holder would make this a killer gift combo! This was a purchase I made a week or so ago. Not planned, but I saw them and my neighbour just came to mind so I grabbed them. Candle £2.49, tea light holder £1.49. Total cost: £3.98.

    Twisted Peppermint Candle & Rock Salt Tea Light Holder
    Bath Fizzer, Mud Face Mask & Body Mist

    All of my friend’s are people who love a bit of pampering, nice scents and look forward to unwinding. I thought this would make a great and inexpensive pamper present. Mud Mask (Home Bargains) 49p, NSPA Body Mist (reduced to 79p from ASDA) and I Heart Revolution Bath Fizzer from Superdrug (was half price and on a 3 for 2) £1.16. Total: £2.44

    I Heart Revolution Cookie Bath Fizzer, Earth Kiss Mud Mask & NSPA Mango & Passion Fruit Body Mist
    Bath Fizzer, Under Eye Patches & Body Mist

    Another gift for a friend, and someone I work with. Trust me, I know she works hard! Early mornings, late nights, THAT’S why I popped in the under eye patches to help soothe and revitalise her eye area. The bath fizzer is fun and I think is a good addition to a bath time routine. And the body mist because I adore this one, it’s gorgeous in scent and I think she would appreciate and use it. Skin Republic Eye Patches (were half price) £2.99. I Heart Revolution Bath Fizzer from Superdrug (half price and 3 for 2) £1.16 and Superdrug’s Bloom Body Mist 99p. Total Cost: £5.15.

    Skin Republic Retinol Eye Patches, I Heart Revolution Cookie Fizzer & Superdrug’s Bloom Orange, Rose & Amber Body Mist

    So as you can see, these three different Christmas gifts are not the biggest and flashiest, and definitely not the most expensive. But it just shows that you don’t need to give a huge amount of ‘stuff’ to show some form of appreciation or thought for someone.

    For all of you who are super last minute when it comes to buying gifts e.g running down the aisles on Christmas Eve at 8am, I will not judge you but I will pray for you! Best of luck, and please don’t kill yourself or your credit score in the process.

  • Skin Republic’s Collagen Hydrogel Under Eye Patches

    If you use skincare, is there one Holy Grail product you always search for? Mine is the perfect eye product. The problem I find with eye products is they are the hardest to get right. Or better still, it’s hard to get one that works the way I want it to. So I accept the fact some products for this area may only provide a temporary fix, which is ok with me. And that’s where under eye patches can be very handy. I’ve decided to try out Skin Republic’s Collagen Hydrogel Under Eye Patches. I bought these in a collection some time ago. These retail for £5.99 per pack for 3 sets of patches.

    Skin Republic’s Collagen Hydrogel Under Eye Patches

    Why did I buy these?

    At the time I had never used this brand before. The collection I purchased consisted of various masks and eye patches which I really wanted to try. What made this even more appealing was the fact the set was half price. But the reason why I decided to use these recently was I fell in love with a tissue mask from this brand, so I was gagging to see if this was just as good. And I needed a pamper! Who doesn’t? Tired, running on empty and eyes looking sad and lifeless. This was much needed so I gave it whirl.

    What are these supposed to do?

    These eye patches are designed to make the under eye appear younger. Helping to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines, reduce puffiness and dark circles. Basically to make this area look more alive and healthier!

    What’s my eye area like?

    Up at 4.30am during the week, 2 kids, work, blog….tired! They can look occasionally a little puffy and slightly dark but in all honesty I think it’s something I notice more than anyone else. But general life does show itself in this area, and I’ve kindly been told on a few occasions how knackered I look!

    What do you get?

    Within this packet (typical packaging for eye masks and sheets masks like this), there were 3 pairs of eye patches. Each pair should only be used once and aren’t reusable.

    How to use.

    Skin should be cleansed before using these patches. Apply each patch under eyes and leave on for 30 minutes. Remove and do not wash off.

    It does say on the packaging that to get the best results you should use these twice a week for a full month so keep this in mind.

    The Patches.

    On one side of the patches it looked similar in appearance and feel to the same material facial sheet masks are made off. On the other side, which is attached to plastic it sits on before you remove to use it, it’s sticky and smooth almost jelly/plastic like. This is the side you apply to your undereye. These are fragranced. Not too heavily but there is something there. It’s a nice scent, a little floral but not strong.

    In Use.

    These suckered themselves to under my eyes no problem. They felt quite thick so it didn’t feel natural or comfortable wearing them for 30 minutes. The plus side was there was no way these bad boys were coming off. I’ve tried using these without putting them in the fridge and from the fridge for added coolness, and in all honesty I felt no difference. They did feel a little cooling regardless but I guess that’s due to the material the patches are made from.

    And the result?

    Nothing noticeable. Under my eyes didn’t look or feel any different. But I only used what was contained in the packaging spread over 2/3 weeks, so I wasn’t consistent with them as suggested.

    Recommended?

    Tricky one to answer yes or no. When I bought these I didn’t realise it was suggested you needed to use these quite regularly to see some form of change. Most facial tissues/eye masks I’ve used before are designed to give an instant lift or result, not needing to use them all the time. So because I didn’t use them like this I can’t judge them fairly. But what I can say is what I liked and didn’t like about them..

    I liked the fact you got 3 sets of eye patches. Each pair individually wrapped so no drying out or spoiling of the product. What I didn’t like was how thick they were. It made that area feel very rigid and to wear them for 30 minutes seemed 15 minutes too long. I would have liked these to have been more moisturising immediately which I didn’t get, and if placed in the fridge more coolness would have been beneficial. And of course, an instant effect would have been brilliant. If I wanted or needed to see improvements over time surely I would opt for an eye cream or serum instead? That would be more cost effective. To try these out for a month you would need 3 packets, which if not on offer would cost £18.00. That’s not expensive but compared to an eye cream it is!

    These may not be what I had hoped for, but these maybe right for others out there. Available from many places such as Superdrug, picking these up shouldn’t be difficult. I would try these out when on offer such as half price or 3 for 2 deal if possible to see if these work for you and your peepholes.

  • Skin Republic’s Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Sheet Mask

    I am no skincare expert, just a skincare lover. Whatever I buy I don’t expect miracles (although the occasional crossed fingers sometimes happen!), but I do want to see some improvements. Some over time, some a short term quick fix. And I find a quick fix product can be found with a face mask. Skin looks tired? Possibly dry? A need of TLC? A sheet mask can be very handy. Precisely the reason I grabbed Skin Republic’s Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask Sheet. I bought this as a set ages ago from Superdrug when half price but they can be bought individually there for £5.49.

    Skin Republic’s Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask Sheet

    Why did I go to use this?

    Honestly? My face has been a state! I know my skin and within the last week I’ve suffered from quite a few spots and uneven skin in general. This isn’t how it normally looks. One spot, maybe two, not a football team’s worth! Not too sure whether it’s because I introduced a new product to my skincare routine or just bad luck, stress, facial covering wearing etc. But not good! And my skin has looked a little lack lustre too which is another no no. I needed something easy and fast to use. This mask, and what it claimed to do, seemed perfect and worth a go.

    What is this mask supposed to do?

    Gently exfoliates, deep cleanses to provide a clearer, cleaner and more vibrant look to the skin.

    Packaging.

    Comes in rectangular shaped packet. Even though all tissue masks come in the same type of packaging where it’s in a flat packet and you rip the top off to get into it, this is an eye catching one. Silver and black in colour with hits of purple, and a picture of half a face on the front wearing the bubble mask. Not particularly keen on the image because it’s not a true image and photoshopped to an inch of it’s life.

    Application.

    To activate the mask you have to rub the unopened packet. Once opened and unfolded, place onto clean skin and leave on for 15-20 minutes. Take it off, rub in any left over bubbles into skin then rinse off with water. To get the best result, use once a week.

    In Use.

    I used this while having a bath, cleansed my face and gave this packet a good little rub. Once I opened it I could see the mask was black in colour but was slowly but surely being covered in foam. Taking it out of the packet, it was less black in colour as the foam was taking over. But the look of this is pretty much the same as other tissues masks. So expect holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. The thickness and quality of the actual mask was good, and it sat on my face comfortably.

    Now, this is where the fun began! This..mask..fizzed! I could feel it delicately fizzing over my skin, almost tickling it. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it was an unusual sensation and enjoyable! And as time went on this lightly covered foam got thicker, and I couldn’t even see the actual mask anymore!

    After 20 minutes had passed, I took the mask off and rubbed in the remainder of the foam on my face into my skin. It felt so creamy, almost like shaving foam and there was a good amount of it. Rinsing off was easy and then I used a warmed damp cloth to pop over my face. My skin felt refreshed and clean and I loved the experience from beginning to end!

    Nearly forgot…Fragrance.

    This mask was fragranced. Not heavily, but perfectly scented in a neutral and clean and fresh scent. Pleasant, helped with relaxation and not heady at all!

    Skin Afterwards.

    I didn’t see a dramatic or a massive change after I used this but it felt good, felt and looked clean and that’s what I had hoped for straight away. Not dry, not irritated, no issues. Did my skin look fresher immediately? I would say a little yes. Enough for me to feel that my slightly textured skin looked less textured.

    The Morning After The Night Before.

    My skin looked better in the morning than after application. Although I was exceptionally tired, my skin didn’t look it. Still retained that fresh and clean look, and was less lifeless. I was actually quite impressed!

    Recommended?

    I remember sitting in the bath with this on my face thinking how I would buy this purely for the experience! I LOVED using this! It was something different, interesting and I really enjoyed it. And personally that’s what I want from skincare, I want to enjoy using products AND get some form of results. Results wise my skin looked a touch tweaked, less rough with a little more life in it after one use. The following day it looked tweaked even more. So recommended? Totally! I couldn’t use this once a week as suggested but once a month more likely, only due to cost and nothing more.

    After doing a quick search, the best price I could find for this was £3.84 (30%off currently) at Look Fantastic here. Worth the price if you are looking for your instant facial fix with a touch of fun thrown in!