Flint + Flint Skincare Review...

Last month Beauty Crowd very kindly sent me a couple of products from the brand Flint + Flint, a unique skincare brand, sourced and made right here in England. Being a lover of all things skincare, I couldn't wait to try them out!

Flint + Flint have an array of skincare that are simple, yet effective and affordable, made using quality active ingredients and designed to be used by everyone. The brand are so confident that their products will work, that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you aren't completely satisfied, you get your money back! Simply return the product in the original packaging with ten days of placing your order.

miamoo travel goodies

miamoo is a company created by Saira Khan, who you may remember from the very first season of The Apprentice, Saira worked on building miamoo, after suffering from years of dry skin. Whilst at university, Saira decided to research the ingredients in products that claimed to soften and smooth skin, among many other claims, which she found out to in fact be far from the truth! Saira soon learned that most companies only care about their profit and not your skin, that a product isn't always natural even though it says so on the label and that sensitized skin can actually be a cause of all these so called products. This drove Saira to come up with her own answer to sensitized skin and miamoo was born! 

When the opportunity arose to try out the miamoo travel goodies set, I was really excited! Although the products are aimed more towards mother and babies, with the products being 98-100% natural they're great for sensitive skin too! One thing that is stressed in particular with this kit is that you follow the three step routine - cleanse, moisturise and massage in order to receive the full benefits of the products. 

travel goodies £15*

The kit I received is perfect for your travels, each bottle is within flying restrictions, is perfect to fit in your handbag and includes: 

splashy wash 30ml

fresh locks shampoo 30ml

huggy lotion 30ml

cheeky cream 10ml

spritz and wipe 30ml

baba oil 30ml

flannel 

The first step within the miamoo skincare routine is to cleanse...

spritz and wipe 125ml £5

I start by using the spritz and wipe on a cotton pad to remove my makeup, infused with limewater, bitter orange and minerals, this smells amazing, makes your skin feel so soft and is perfect for freshening up on the go. This removes my makeup so well but it also helps to freshen up my makeup throughout the day, when I feel that my makeup is starting to look a little dull and cakey mid-afternoon, I simply spritz all over my face and pat any creases gently with my ring finger to reveal smoother looking skin. This is definitely one of my favourite products from the pack.

splashy wash 200ml £6

Once I've removed my makeup, I ensure that I use my splashy wash and the cloth provided to thoroughly cleanse my face to ensure all traces of makeup and dirt are removed. What I love most about the miamoo products is that I can use them on my face and not worry about them stinging my eyes, which shows how super gentle they are. For an exfoliating wash I use the splashy wash with my cleansing brush on the exfoliate setting to ensure any dead skin is removed, this leaves my skin feeling really smooth and fresh, I aim to do this once a week.  I then use the splashy wash in the shower to cleanse my body, again if I want to exfoliate I use this with my cleansing brush using the body brush head to get rid of any dry patches, paying particular attention to my knees, elbows and ankles.

fresh locks shampoo 200ml £6

fresh locks shampoo is a 3-in-1 product that can be used on the face, body and hair, this isn't dissimilar to the splashy wash in my opinion, as they are both a similar runny consistency, lather well and can be used for multiple purposes, however they do have a slightly different scent and the fresh locks shampoo can be used on the hair too. If being used as a shampoo, I think this would be better suited to babies or someone with fine hair, unfortunately as my hair is long, thick, dry and coloured I found that my hair didn't lather too well with this product and I had to use another, that being said it makes an amazing body wash and my latest discovery, I found that it is perfect for washing my makeup brushes with as it leaves them smelling gorgeous and leaves them super soft too, I always love to use baby shampoos on my makeup brushes as I find they are gentle and don't damage the brushes, so this one is perfect and I will be sure to use it again!

Next step, moisturise....

huggy lotion 125ml £5

huggy lotion is the perfect everyday moisturiser, it is a lightweight lotion which absorbs into the skin quickly, making it perfect for use after your morning shower, as you don't need to wait for it to absorb before you get dressed for work. Again it smells seriously good, makes the skin baby soft and can actually be used as a base for makeup or simply pop in your handbag to use as a hand cream throughout the day.

cheeky cream 100ml £5

What I love about cheeky cream is that it is a thicker cream which can be used as a barrier for problem areas, this is the only one I don't find to have much of a scent but that doesn't bother me as the product works so well. This can be popped in your handbag to use when you need to treat dry hands, flaky skin and any itches or sores throughout the day. I actually have a dry patch on the front of both of my feet, which leans towards the outside and is just to the right of my ankle, they are severely dry and actually go really dark in the summer making them stand out and making me feel self-conscious. I've had them since I was a kid and have no idea what they are or where they came from, but I have been using cheeky cream to try and soften them which so far is working pretty well, I'm aiming to use this every evening in order to make them soft and smooth ready for summer, fingers crossed I'll be able to wear sandals this summer without having to worry about the dreaded patches. I actually think that miamoo should sell this in small pots alone as well as the squeezy tube because it's the perfect handbag companion.

Last step, Massage...

baba oil 125ml £7.50

Ok so I won't lie, I was actually hesitant to use this oil at first, I'm not sure if this needed shaking beforehand but the first time I swatched it on my hands, it just didn't really give off a scent, and being a qualified aromatherapist, I like my oils to have a scent that either lifts me or relaxes me, so I'll admit I'm guilty, I just popped it in my drawer for a few days, without much of a thought. I did however get it back out on Friday to give it another whirl and I was pleasantly surprised. I have been alternating between this and the huggy lotion, which I use in a morning and then I whip the baba oil out in the evening. I simply massage this in all over my body after my bath or shower in the evening, allowing the lavender and almond scent to sooth and relax me whilst I unwind before bed.

The biggest test for me and the reason I was so excited to try out the miamoo products is my longstanding problem with constantly irritated legs. Whenever I have a shower or bath and especially after shaving, my legs become an itching nightmare, I develop small bumps under the skin, all over my calf and they itch so bad that I scratch them until they bleed, even then I continue to itch them, making them really sore and they just end up looking a complete mess! I'm actually really happy as I've found that using the splashy wash, followed by baba oil on my legs in the evening really soothes them, they still itch a little between stepping out of the shower and putting the oil on, however if i can resist the initial itch for long enough, these products eventually begin to soothe it and keep the itch at bay, goodbye itchy spots and bruises, hello summer legs!

Overall I love these products, I think my favourite product has to be the baba oil purely because it soothes my itching legs, but I really love them all  and can't wait till payday so that I can order the spritz and wipe and baba oil in full size. I think that the range is perfect for mother and babies, but don't just discard them because they aren't aimed directly towards you, if they're gentle enough for babies, they will be perfect for all skin types and I'm actually really surprised at how affordable the products are considering they are 98-100% natural, each product is either just £5 or £6 and the travel set comes in at just £15, what's not to love?!

miamoo have also given you lovely lot a treat with 10% off at www.miamoo.co.uk when you use the code Blog13. This applies to full priced items only and can be redeemed by entering the code at the checkout! Happy shopping! 

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*This product was girfted to me however any opinions given are always my own.

Magnitone Pulsar Review and 7 Day Challenge ...

Magnitone Pulsar**

After seeing everyone rave about cleansing systems recently, I became very intrigued. I love skincare and think a good skincare routine is the most important part to a beauty regime, without a smooth canvas you cannot paint a clear picture and although I often forget to take my makeup off and am not as strict as I would like to be with my skincare routines, a new product, or tool in this case, often gives me encouragement to carry out a routine, so I took to do some research of my own on the subject.

Although there are so many systems out there, including the Clarisonic and the No7 version, the system that actually most appealed to me was in fact the Magnitone Pulsar, it seemed to have the most positive reviews and fell into the middle price bracket of them all, which I think is always your best bet and every review I read had suggested that it was definitely worth it's price tag. A couple of weeks ago I realised that I had actually forgot to put this on my birthday list, yes I still do those, and found myself rather disappointed that I wouldn't be getting one for my birthday, however on the same day this came to my realisation, I received an email asking whether I would like to review the product and the best part, my mum got the chance to try one out too** of course it only took me seconds to reply to them and within a couple of days my cleansing systems were with me! A* for Delivery!

About the Magnitone Pulsar...

The Magnitone Pulsar is a 100% waterproof cleansing system designed for everyday use on the face and body and uses advanced pulsed electromagnetic technology to cleanse your face, remove impurities and help to refresh, cleanse and stimulate the skin to help achieve that youthful glow. Magnitone promises that you will start seeing results in just seven days. I aimed to complete the 7 day challenge immediately, however I came down with a virus which left me unable to eat let alone carry out a skincare routine or review it any way possible so I didn't get round to starting my challenge until last week when I finally started to pick up a little!

The Magnitone Pulsar Kit...

- a charging cradle

- AC mains adaptor

- Active Clean Brush Head

- Body Cleanse Brush Head

- Magnitone Pulsar Handle

- 12 month warranty

Brush Heads...

              

The Pulsar brush comes with two heads, one for your face and one for your body, they are easily distinguishable as they are different shapes and colours, see pictures, there are also sensitive heads available for those with super sensitive skin. 

Charging...

To charge the Pulsar, you place it back to front in the cradle, you will most likely insist that this is wrong as I too thought so, but trust me it's the right way round this way (see picture above). Before you use the Magnitone Pulsar for the first time, it is recommended that you charge it for at least 24 hours, so of course this was the first step I took, though it was hard to keep my hands off it for so long! There on after, you can give the Pulsar a full charge for 24 hours or a quick charge for just 75 minutes which will give you enough charge to use for that day, however it is recommended that if possible you charge the Pulsar for at least 12 hours to help maintain the battery life.

Modes...

The four modes:

Sensitive: This is for use on sensitive skin and sensitive areas such as the bikini line sfter hair removal which can help to reduce rashes or burns from the use of your razor.

PulseLift Massage: Using this mode can help to encourage better blood flow to your skin resulting in reduction of wrinkles, fine lines and helping to tone the skin.

Exfoliate: This mode is great to use on dry areas of skin such as legs, elbow and knees in order to prep for fake tan, just simply switch the mode to exfoliate and use on legs/arms for 20 seconds and elbows/knees for 30 seconds.

Deep Cleanse: This is the mode I usually opt for during both my facial and body routine as I feel it gives me a better cleanse all round.

My Experience:

As I wanted to ensure any results I received were entirely down to the Magnitone Pulsar, I ensured that I didn't change any part of my usual skincare routine, including the products I use. Magnitone recommend that you use the Pulsar for just one minute. twice a day for the first 3 days, which can then be increased to two minutes after.

When using the Pulsar on my face, I first remove my makeup with the Garnier micellar water, I then cleanse my face manually with my Liz Earle cleanser, followed by a sensitive cleanse with the Liz Earle Cleanser and the Magnitone pulsar.

I also incorporate the Pulsar into my body routine and use it to focus on dry areas such as my knees and elbows. I also get severe dry patches on the tops of my feet, which I have been using the Pulsar on to try and reduce the dryness and so far they have smoothed out so much! I'm so happy as they actually make me feel self conscious in summer and if after just a week I they have become this soft, I can't wait to see the results come summer!

The first time I used the Pulsar, I found it to be a very strange sensation on the skin, my face was a little sensitive and was quite red afterwards, this does die down after a few uses, so I ensured that I used the sensitive setting for the first couple of days. After a couple of days I did break out, however this isn't unusual for me and could actually have been down to my hormones at that time, it has now been seven days since I started using the Pulsar and I have to say I am amazed with the results! First of all the difference between a manual cleanse and a cleanse with the Pulsar is eye opening! I have always cleansed manually and once my cloth is clean, I assume that my skin is also clean, however when I follow with Pulsar, the brush head is shockingly stained with the remaining makeup that must be deep in my pores, which probably explains my breakouts. My face is also a lot clearer, my redness has dramatically reduced and my skin feels so much smoother and softer, I've even had compliments from clients at work about how clear they think my skin is, which is amazing for me! I cannot wait to see my skin in a couple of months time!

My mum will be receiving her Magnitone Pulsar on Mother's Day, so I will post about her review when she has completed her 7 day challenge.

The Magnitone Pulsar is available from Boots, Amazon, HQ Hair, Look Fantastic, Beauty Expert, The Hut, Superdrug and Current Body.

Have you tired the Magnitone Pulsar yet? What do you think?

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** Although I got a Magnitone Pulsar for myself and my mum at a heavily discounted price, I did pay for both, and my reviews are entirely my own.

Glossybox - The London Edition

Wow! How is it October already? I know we all say this, but...The days just seem to be flying by and Septembers Glossybox has been sat on my desk for wayyy too long now! So with Octobers box being due anytime soon...

Here's what I got in Septembers box...

Elizabeth Arden - Untold - Sample Size

This perfume smells truly amazing! I could sit and smell it all day... me? weird? never!

I've never really been the best at describing fragrances but I would say that this one is a really sophisticated and floral scent, which captures the modern working female. The scent is light enough for day and elegant enough for an evening dinner or drinks. The bottle is unique, with curvature, definition and illusion, the bottle appears to have diamond shaped cuts on both sides, however when you look closer there are lines on each side, cut only one way, but the opposite way on each side to create this illusion.

Eylure Pre-glued Lashes - Full Size

I was so excited to see these in my box, as I am hopeless at putting on false eyelashes, if there was ever an award for being the worst eyelash applier, I would definitely win it! I simply do not have the patience to wait for the glue to dry, and by the time it has dried, its practically in my eye and all over my eyelid, usually resulting in smudged eyeshadow and panda envying eyeliner, so in my eyes, excuse the pun, what could be better then pre-glued eyelashes? so much easier, right? However 30 minutes later and I became seriously disappointed with these. By the time i'd managed to adjust the eyelashes perfectly, roughly 10 minutes later, the 'glue' appeared to no longer be tacky and the eyelashes were simply falling off at the end, so I tried again to re-adjust and re-apply them, but another 20 mins later and I decided to finally give up. Maybe it's just because me and false eyelashes don't mix?! I have no idea! Did anyone else have a problem with these? let me know in the comments box below, but for now, I can't see me ever purchasing these eyelashes, which is such a shame as I find it to be such an ingenious idea!

Toni&Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Classic Shine & Gloss Serum - Full Size

Not so long ago, I couldn't have cared less about hair products, probably because my hair has always been in pretty good condition. However since I decided to go crazy and have it bleached, I've started to take more care of it, as paired with a head of coarse long locks, as I'm sure you can imagine, it has started to lack in strength, shine and moisture. So any hair treatments, serums and sprays that will help and I'm happy to try them. This product smells seriously good and left my hair supershiny, which is amazing as it usually looks so dull, the packaging is also limited edition and is designed by Lulu Kennedy, there's nothing better than having a product that is only available for a limited time.

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Onyx Eye Liner - Full Size

I'm that girl that wears eyeliner on a daily basis, my eyes just don't look the same without it! So of course I love to try out new eyeliners, and was so excited to see this in my Glossybox this month, especially because it's a felt-tip style nib, which I find the easiest to apply. This is a universal colour, fast drying, and easy to apply, if your not great at drawing cat eye flicks, try doing so with an eyeliner like this as it makes it ten times easier!

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips - Sample Size

In all honesty I don't think that this is a big enough sample to base a true opinion upon. I did find that this product initially made my lips smooth when applied, but whether it would help in the long term with my ridiculously dry, chapped lips, I can only hope. It's definitely not a big enough sample to try on dry skin but I do love when a product is multipurpose like this one, as it allows you to put one product in your handbag rather than say five which can be used for a multitude of problems. 

The Glossybox card states that it can be used for:

• chapped lips
• burns
• abrasions
• minor incisions
• cuticles
• eczema
• dry skin
• mixing makeup such as pigments and glitter
• shaping eyebrows
• and even polishing your shoes!

 This product also gets a thumbs up from me for being 100% natural, hypoallergenic and scent free which means it can be used on you, your partner and your children, an essential for any handbag!

Overall I was really happy with my Glossybox this month, I love the new magazine that they've included, and the birchbox style product card, these really excited me as soon as I saw them, as I guess I feel like I'm getting a little extra for my money, and I'm obsessed with magazines! My only qualm with this month's box is that, when flitting through Instagram, my all time love, I found that some people had received a full sized HD or Rimmel Blusher instead of the tiny sample of lip balm, which I really don't think is a fair swap, and of course I always want what I don't have but I guess that's just how some months of Glossybox goes.

Are you subscribed to glossybox? What did you get in your box this month?

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