Freeman Face Masks

Whenever I go to Mauritius I always like picking up my favourite brand for face masks which is the 'Freeman Beauty'. They have a lot of different types of face masks from brightening to hydrating. There are so many you just have to find the right one you want. I purchased 3 masks and I am in love. 

Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask - Brilliant for deep cleaning and getting rid of any dry skin flakes. A scrub and mask, 2 in 1. The only way I can describe my skin after using this would be CLEAN. My skin did slightly feel tight after using this but it did make me feel like my skin was rid of all the pollution in the air. I think this mask would be best for oily skin and it removes oil straight away after on use.
Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask - I bought this mainly because it said Avocado and Oatmeal. Avocado and Oatmeal are the best ingredients for dry to eczema prone skin. After using this mask your skin feels soft and hydrated.
Golden Grain Facial Brightening Mask - Due to my eczema prone skin I find my skin tends to lack brightness and a glow. Even after staying in the sun for a whole day my skin looked dark rather than having a nice glow to the skin. I found that after using this my skin definitely appeared clearer rather than glowly. If you hate face masks that crack like clay masks this is the mask for you.

^This is what the mask look like when applied when dried only the Avocado mask becomes dry and crackly.

For each mask I left them on for 10 minutes max. Any longer and my skin would not thank me after. To remove them I prefer using a face towel soaked in warm to hot water. Then I place the face towel on my face and gradually wipe away. Put on your daily face cream on and you should feel that your skin has gone softer.

I haven’t seen any Freeman Beauty product in Superdrug or Boots, but you can order any Freeman product from Amazon.

Freeman have a range of products from face mask to foot scrubs. You just need to know your skin type and browse away. I’m thinking of looking into their body lotions as my skin has dehydrated after being in the warm sun of Mauritius.

- kristalovesx -

Favourite Mascara of the Month - L'Oreal Paris False Lash Flutter

So instead of doing the usual monthly favourites, I decided to talk about just one product. It is the L'Oreal Paris False Lash Flutter. The amount of hype there was about the mascara was almost unbearable. I thought my trusty Volume Million Lashes (from L'Oreal too) was the other mascara in the world for me. But oh no no. I was wrong. It was on offer in Boots, so I thought I might as well try it and see what all the fuss was about, and now I see.

The mascara claims to extend the look of lashes towards the outer eye without clumps. It also claims to have Cacoon fibres which help to make the lashes look longer. The wand for this mascara is thicker one end and becomes tapered towards the end.

 I normally apply two coats of mascara just to build up volume and length. I find that this mascara work even better when you wear winged liner. This mascara definitely gives me longer lashes and definitely winged out. You just need to be careful with how you apply the mascara due to the wand. Use the wider part for the outer ends. So you do find yourself in an awkward position when it comes to the left eye. Use the rounded side of the wand for the bottom lashes as it catches every single hair.

Two coats are just enough for my lashes. Anymore and it will look spidery. Excuse the untamed brows.

- kristalovesx - 

February Favourites '14

It's March. It's nearly my birthday! Woooo. Right onto the favourites.

So my favourite foundation this month has actually been a BB Cream. I bought the wrong shade I bought a shade lighter. But it actually blends out evenly and gives a glow to the skin. Retails for £12.00 at The Body Shop.

Favourite power to set my face with is the Sleek's Suede Effect in the Shade 02. It has an almost velvety feel to the touch and creates a matte finish when setting your face. You can get this at Superdrug for £6.99.

Next on the list is my favourite eye product and this month's favourite is the Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in the shade On and On Bronze. I love using this as an inner eye highlight when having my usual winged eyeliner. It also works as a great base when doing any eye shadow combo, it's kind of an alternative to primers. Superdrug are currently doing a 3 for 2 on all Maybelline product so snatch yours for £4.99.

My favourite lip product is the Hoola lipgloss by Benefit. I've currently got the sample size which means I have to use it sparingly. It's a gorgeous shimmery nude which is perfect on a lazy day. You can get the full size on Benefit's website for £14.50. A little tip for you guys, if you are a student you can get 10% off Benefit cosmetics if you sign up to Uni-Days. ;)

Favourite brush at the moment is the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush which I have been using for my concealer under my eyes. The brush is fluffy and soft and doesn't drag the skin around, which is a plus! This brush is part of the Real Techniques set which you can get at Boots for £21.99.

Hair product timeeeee. I have no hope in getting volume in my fringe, back combing does not help at all. So I have resorted to back combing spray, which works better than dry shampoo believe it or not. I just spray it inbetween my fringe and ruffle my hair to distribute the product. and BOOM. Voluminous hair. It's on offer at Superdrug, 2 for £5, but usually sells for £3.79.

And last and not least my favourite scent. It has to be Next's Milan. This fragrance is fruity, with a floral heart and a woody base, perfect for entering spring time. It just smells so feminine without being too overpowering. I couldn't find the 100ml online but I could find the 50ml. The 50ml retails for £8.

What are your favourites this month?

- kristalovesx -

My Weekly Nailcare

Nearly every Friday I always remove my chipped off nail polish and start all over again with a fresh new lick of nail polish.

Time to moisturise those hands. I'm currently using Skin therapy's Intensive Hand and Nail cream which I got for 59p in Wilkinson. Bargain.

Moisture those cuticles with a rich cuticle cream. Dot the cuticle cream on your cuticles and rub in well. Lemony Flutter is my favourite at the moment just because of the scent. It smells exactly like lemons. You can get this in Lush for £6.50.

Once the hand cream and cuticle cream have absorbed into the hands, I then use some nail polish remover over my nails. This will get rid of any oily residue left from the creams.

Top coat time. Barry M's basecoat, topcoat and nail harder is a perfect 3 in 1 clear polish. Get it in either Boots or Superdrugs for £2.99.

I'm a bit weird when it comes to cutting and filing my nails. I prefer to have my clear coat on first then cut my nails and then file them down to get rid of any sharpness. I'm currently using Tesco's emery boards because they're cheaper and they last so long. I prefer using a bigger nail cutter because then it cuts straight in one go.

- kristalovesx -

My Botanics Skincare Routine

A new year and a new skincare routine.

During the partying season, I may have neglected my skin a bit. My skin felt dull and lacked that glow you usually get after taking a hot shower or just after washing your face. I needed a product that would not strip away my skin yet remove all the makeup and dirt left on my delicate dry skin. I finally found a few products from Boots that have actually helped my skin regain that youthful glow that I had been craving.

Botanics All Bright Eye Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - £3.99

First of all we have the oil based brightening eye makeup remover. I don't think I have ever found a product that has brighten up my dark circles whilst removing tough waterproof mascara. This would probably be my holy grail item, can't go a day without it. It genuinely removes every last trace of makeup. It may be a tad bit too oily but I think that helps in moisturising such a delicate area.

Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream - £3.99

Then we have the Cleansing cream. I use this product after a face wipe just to remove any tough makeup but later go in with this. It's a light creamy consistency with a mild scent. It keep my face feeling moisturised and clean.

Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner - £3.99

I never used to use a toner after my cleanser just because I thought it's an unnecessary step to keeping clean and clear skin. Although after buying it on a 3 for 2 offer I had to use it. The toner is not drying at all and defiantly removes every last dirt trapped in the pores.

Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream - £4.99

I finish off my skin routine with the hydrating day cream. The smell of this is light and subtle which is perfect and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I usually have a problem with branded day creams because my eczema prone skin is always irritated by them or it's just not hydrating enough. But after a long day at university, my skin doesn't need another layer of cream to keep me going through the day.

January Favourites '14

How are we already in February?! I still remember getting excited about Christmas. Why does time fly so fast! So let's get started on my monthly favourites.

First on the list is Foundation. L'Oreal's Eau De Teint is amazing. That velvet-y feel on the skin just makes me want to apply layers upon layers. It's lightweight, leaves a powder finish and has a SPF 18. It gives such a flawless finish. I have been wearing this every day to university and I don't think I want to try any other foundations until this one finishes right to the end. 

This lovely potion in a bottle, retails for £9.99 in Superdrug. 

BABY SKIN. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW KNOW. (Know the song?)

So Maybelline's Baby Skin isn't a primer like POREfessional. This is mostly a silicone primer which smudges your pore's away. I haven't found an absolute difference between not using this primer and using it. Although I have noticed that my foundation does glide on better and blends in quicker, which is a plus for me as I don't have time to keep on blending. 

Still worth it as it's only £7.99.

Get rid of them wrinkles. Eye Creams/Gel are a must in any girl's makeup bag. It helps when you're concealing the eyes and leaves a smooth finish. The Body Shop's eye cream is unperfumed, lightweight and de-puffs those eyes from a night out on the town. Retails for £7.00. A little steep for a basic eye gel but does the job well.

Flutter them lashes with Revlon's Lash Potion. I prefer the plastic wand when applying mascara, like the Maybelline's Rocket, but this is amazing for a bristle wand. The non-waterproof holds my lashes in place and there is no fall out whatsoever which is normally a big problem for me. I actually bought this for £5 as it was on offer after Christmas. But it's usually £9.99.

And last but not least, PERFUME! Oh and not any kind, oh no no no, it's the Katy Perry Killer Queen. Ever since buying this, it's been my scent every single day. It's sweet and mature at the same time much more mature than her first ever perfume Purr. The only thing I don't like about it is that I thought there would be some sort of holder for the perfume, just because it just lies on the table and get's in the way. Apart from that it is AMAZINGGG. Usually retails for £29.00 for the 50ml, but it's sometimes on offer in Boots so always be on the lookout.

What's been you're January Favourites and what are you looking forward too?


- kristalovesx -