Review of Estee Lauder’s Day Wear BB

We have all gone BB Cream crazy recently. In the UK, there's recent launch of the Garnier BB Cream, and even non-drug-store brand Estee Lauder has brought one out! Latest in Beauty was offering a small tube for the price of £1.50, so I snapped it up and just tried it when I went out last night.

(Aside: BB Cream has been all over in Asia for at least 2 years now, but their BB cream has a very different formula, texture, and tint to it. Their BB cream tends to be much thicker, much paler - almost greyish if too much is used, and has very high SPF. Some of the most well known ones are from Etude House, Skin79, Missha. I have a few of these and quite enjoy one from Missha. They are just like foundation to me, but claim to have nourishing and repaiting properties to the skin. Let me know if you are interested to find out more. =)



Firstly, Estee Lauder's BB Cream smells absolutely divine! It smells like watermelon and sweets, light and refreshing, not sickening sweet or fragrant. I absolutely adore it. Second, the colour tone is perfect for me. I chose "Light" and it suits my skin tone very well. Lastly, it's super moisturising. My skin has been suffering from dryness for a while as a result of the lack of sleep. When I use Bare Mineral's foundation (when I am short of time), I notice that my skin looks dry and flakey in the afternoon. With Estee Lauder's BB Cream, my skin looks hydrated and plump. Overall, I absolutely love it for the weekends but may need more coverage for going into work during the week. I'll see how I feel when I finish the sample and may just get tempted.... =) Until next time. xx

DIY Brightening Facial

Two weekends ago I made a DIY brightening mask with some papaya. Papaya can help get rid of dead cells. Compared to physical exfoliators (e.g. sea salt, scrub, etc) papaya is much more gentle because the exfoliation is of a chemical nature, hence best for sensitive skin.

Here is the recipeL:
- Over-ripe papaya that has been mashed up (I used 1/4 of a papaya from Waitrose)
- Honey
- Flour (I used rice flour to increase the impact of the exfoliation as the flour itself acts like a physical exfoliant - but their particles are so small that this is still a very gentle exfoliation mask)

Leave it on for 15 min. Bingo - glowy, bright, smooth skin ready to roll! =) xx

Review: Latest In Beauty - Anti-Ageing Box

Latest in Beauty has become my favourite beauty box of all times!

Here is the anti-ageing box from LIB:


LIB Anti-agening Box (March 2012)

This Works Enjoy Multi-Tasking Lotion 30ml: I love the geranium and rose scent. After my fruit peel mask last night, I put this on and it leaves my skin soft, moisturised, plump and smelling nice! I love it.

Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator 15ml: I have heard this brand but never used their products. So I am really looking forward to my new firmed up jawline! =p

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Hydra 15ml with muslin cloth: I have a lot of Decleor products anyway since they do a one-hour massage plus facial for £30 booking fee, redeemable against the purchase of two products. So I have a mountain full of products to be used. Still, I like the luxury scent of their products. Their tonifying water is my all time must-have. So I am looking forwad to trying this one.

Fushi Organic Anti-Wrinkle Lip Balm 10ml: I love lip blams and never have enough of time (I am currently using 4 or 5 switching between them.... so far I really like Eos Summer Fruit. Let's see if this one beats it!)
Emma Hardie Amazing face Natural Lift and Sculpt Plumping Serum 10ml: Again I have heard of this brand but never used it before. My face is in desperate need of some "lifting and sculpting"! Really looking forward to trying it.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask 15ml: I heard a lot about Eve Lom's cleansing balm. It's a bit pricey so I never tried it. I love masks, all kinds of masks, so getting this is definitely a thumbs up!

CosmetoFruit Body Booster: Drinkable elixir? I love the taste. Not convinced it's really going to do much, but what's to lose when it tastes nice anyway. =)

L'Occitane Divine Cream (3 or 5 ml?) I use a lot of L'Occitane products and I love love love the divine line. So I am really pleased to get this little pot to try out at home.

Overall, this is my all time favourite beauty box (considering I have ordered 14 boxes to date from different companies - Glossy Box, Carmine, Boudoir Prive, Jolie Box). This one beats all of them and I really look forward to the next LIB box!

DIY - Body Scrub

It's Spring...... I can hear the birds singing and see the sun shining! Little things (plus a day off from work on the weekend is a real treat!) all make me super happy. So I am going for a pampering Sunday morning starting with a DIY facial (see separate post) and a DIY body scrub.

Here is the recipe for the body scrub:

• Olive oil (or any other oil that is not too strong, e.g. not sesame oil!)
• Flakes of sea salt
• Honey

That's it. I mix the three ingredients in a ramekin, and transfer them to a tiny jam jar that I leave in the bathroom. I can usually use it twice before having to make some more. Be sure you massage into your skin gently to increase the circulation, which helps to eliminate cellulite and remove dead skin. I love the feeling that it leaves my skin - soft, supple, and nourished.

Hope you enjoy it - whatever you do, pamper yourself today! xx

Free facial at Origins

Origins is one of my favourite skincare brands.I went for a free facial in mid January at the Cambridge branch of John Lewis with a voucher given alongside the purchase of two products. My favourite Origins products are:

• Never a Dull Moment cleanser
• Modern Friction
• Brighter by Nature (exfoliating pads)

The face wash is amazing - moisturising, refreshing, and it even removes dead skin cells gently. For me, the best skincare tip to keep the skin clean and moisturised. Clean, Exfoliate, and Moisturise.... I'll share my favourite make-up remover next time. It's one that can't be bought in the UK.... until next time. xx

January Carmine Box Review

I've been out of the country for two weeks to the far far away land in Asia (well, actually, it's just Hong Kong and Macau. =) For those of you who haven't heard of Macau, it was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century and was handed over back to China in 1999. It has a similar political system as Hong Kong, i.e. it is a country in its own right with its own government. Let me do a blog post about Hong Kong and Macau some time....

Back to the Carmine Beauty Box. Here is what the January Box looks like:

(L to R) Eldora False Eyelashes, Himalayan Pink Salt, Eyeko Fat Eye Stick, Balance Me Radiance Face Oil, Korres Wild Rose 24-hour Moisturising & Brightening Cream

Wanna know more about each product? Here is a brief description: (plus my comments in italics)

1. Eldora False Eyelashes - pretty self explanatory. The note alongside the products says "Use code eldoracarmine2012 for 50% off the full Eldora range when you spend £15 or more. Available from eldorashop.co.uk. Exp Feb 29th". I personally do not like these ones as they are pretty full and I know I will look very strange with these.....
2. Himalayan Pink Salt - "Straight from the Himalayan mountain range, thsi natural, mineral-rich treasure will transform a 30-minute soak in the bath into a detox that's equivalent to a 3-day fast! So you can relax, refresh and repeat! Use code 4321 for 30% off the Detox adn Revive Kit at westlabshop.co.uk. Exp March 1st." I am in the mode to detox, stay fit and lose weight. So the promise of a 3-day fast sounds amazing although I have serious doubt and I am almost certain that this is just a gimmick. Still I am keen to try it out. 
3. Eyeko Fat Eye Stick - "this chubby stick of soft, creamy colour does double duty as a liner and a shadow to creat the perfect smoky-eye taht will never go out of style....." I quite like mine in brown - I have oily eyelids and will see how smudgy it gets as I intend to use it as a liner and hopefully I won't look like my eyes just got dirty!
4. Balance Me Radiance Face Oil - "No time for a New Year Facial? Not to worry, this 100% natural face oil will dramatically renew your skin and make you literlaly glow. Try massaging onto your face and neck before your moisturiser (day or night) - your skill will definitely thank you! Use code CARMINE2012 for 10% off teh full size face oil at balanceme.co.uk. Exp March 1st". I am a big fan of face oil - my favourite is actually the facial oil from Sanctuary at Boots. I used to use the more pricey stuff from Decleor (their toner is one that I cannot live without - been using it for 5 years!) but found that Sanctuary does the job equally well but at half the price. Not sure if I am keen to try out a new brand of facial oil.
5. Korres Wild Rose Moisturising & Brightening Cream - ".... This organic, wild rose face cream will not only brighten adn repair your complexion, it will also pump up the hydration for a full 24-hours! So drink up!" I actually received this exact same sample from another beauty box a while ago, so I have used it and am not excited by it unfortunately. I'd love to try another Korres product, but I guess this cream is one that Korres is pushing and therefore appears in more than 1 beauty box. I think the product itself is ok, but I am very happy with my current moisturiser and am not keen to change as I have alredy tried it out!

Overall this is an ok box. I got a bit disappointed when I first received it because I do not like the false eyelashes and have received plenty of bath salts from beauty boxes and at xmas, and have already tried out the Korres cream from another box. It shows the problem when the same brand / product does the round at several beauty boxes - it doesn't get exciting as the whole point is to try out new products. I will wait and see what the Feb box looks like before deciding whether to continue to subscribe or not.... (beauty boxes piling up high in my house....)


Have a good weekend everyone!


p.s. Bonus picture - here is the toy poodle that I went to visit in Asia (well, she's my mum's dog actually!) She looks cute but she is very cunning....... still, I do like her a lot even though she chases me round the flat and bites me whenever she can. =p

Feel Unique Beauty Box Review - January

I hope everyone has had a good second week at work. I got my first Feel Unique Beauty Box this weekend. Here you go:

January Feel Unique Box

All 6 products in the January Feel Unique Box

Caudalie Body Lotion, Phyto Conditioner, This Works Facial Cleanser

• Lierac Creme Mesolift Anti-Aging Radiance (15ml)
• Lierac Hydra-Chrono Gel-Creme (1 sachet)
• Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Brushing (2 sachets)
• Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion (30ml)
• PhytoPhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner (20ml)
• This Works Clean Skin for the Face (30ml)

I have received several Dead Sea Spa Magik products in beauty boxes and also as xmas presents, so I know the brand and I love them (although they are not such a "luxury" brand.) I have used Caudalie before and found that they are ok. I don't hate them nor like them - they just don't do it for me. This Works is another brand that I have tried but did not particularly fancy. That leaves Lierac and Phyto conditioner which I will try asap and report back. I realise after having subscribed to ~10 boxes, I have a mountain of travel sizes products to be tried.... (I am sure you all know what I mean by this!)

Overall I have to say I am a bit disappointed given the products that were in the previous boxes. It feels like the January 2012 FU box is the most disappointing of all - no makeup products, and unfortunately, hardly any exciting skincare / bodycare products. My favourite products in order of preference are generally: makeup, skincare, haircare, and lastly, bodycare. Bodycare products tend to be cheaper as well (Dead Sea Spa Magik and Claudalie Body Lotion in the January FU box), so they are worth less the money and from that point of view, also disappointing.

I will keep my subscription for another month, and probably unsubscribe if the February box is still disappointing. Still I will have the Jolie Box and the Carmine Box - the two that I have stuck with. Glossy Box was my first one but Jolie Box has the best products adn Carmine Box is good enough with amazing customer service. So for the battle of the beauty boxes, Jolie Box and Carmine are leading the way... See you next time! x

December Carmine Box Review

My December Carmine Box arrived last week. As many bloggers have blogged about the contents, I thought I'd do a tried & tested review instead. So the December Carmine Box contains:

• Benito Brow Bar voucher for threading
• Japonesque Smudger Brush
• Weleda Promegranate Creamy Body Wash
• KMS California Freeshape Quick Blow Dry
• Institut Esterderm Time Technology Cream
• Myface Cosmetics Blingtone in spi'ice'y



Dec Carmine Box Infocards plus vouchers for threading and Weleda

Dec Carmine Box - from top left clockwise Weleda Pomegranate Body Wash, KMS Quick Blow Dry Spray, Institut Cream, Japonesque Smudger Brush, Blingtone Eyeshadow

First, Weleda's Promegranate Creamy Body Wash. It smells fruity and refreshing. After using it, I noticed that it leaves my skin moisturised. My current shower gel is Ritual's Fujiyama Shower Foam, which also has a red packaging and is very refreshing. Overall I think Ritual's Fujiyama smells better (I know this is completely subjective), but Weleda's Promegranate Creamy Body Wash feels more nourishing for the skin. I'd happily use either on a daily basis.

Next is the Japonesque Smudger Brush. I don't own a Smudger Brush, so this seems like a good item to receive. Closer inspection suggests to me that the brush is not such a high quality one - but I'll need to test it out properly before reviewing it. I'll probably use it when I apply teh Blingtone eyeshadow.

The Institutt Esterderm Time Technology Cream is great - I used it last night and it seems to be extremely moisturising. It will take a few days to see the full effect. I haven't used the KMS Quick Blow Dry spray nor the Threading Voucher from Benito - will post a full review when I have tried them out properly.

Overall this month's box is great - I certainly like it more than the one in November. There are 6 items altogether (including the threading service) - the Blington eyeshadow looks so beautiful and there is even a full sized product (Welada Promegranate Creamy Body Wash). Also, if you spend more than £30 on Welada website, you can get a free Pomegranate Facial Care Travel Set (worth £12.95) with the code "minefree". So this box is great value and certainly introduces me to some new brands! Well done Carmine!

Hope you enjoy this review. See you next time. x

GIVEAWAY

Origins Facial Voucher (30-min facial+free Drink Up mask with 2 purchases).

Follow me on Twitter and retweet to enter the giveaway competition https://twitter.com/#!/Ryvita1. Closing 9 Jan midnight.

Hope you enjoy it - I am a big fan of Origins myself, and in particular, their brightening lines. Stay glowy and happy! xxx

Latest in Beauty Review

I have been using Latest in Beauty for a couple of years now. They started out as a company offering little monthly beauty treats whilst you pay via a text message - no credit card required. They now offer beauty boxes and luxury samples too. This month I ordered a little monthly box....

Skin Doctors Instant Facelift, ReNu Radiant Skin Peel, Moa the Green Balm

Moa the Green Balm was in the October Glossy Box. I absolutely loved it. So when the latestinbeauty box turned up, I was amazed that it's the same size as the one in the Glossy Box - given that the Glossy Box is £10 for 5 samples, this seems like an absolutely bargain (plus extremely high quality product!) I have yet to try the other two and will post a review then.


If you have any comments / questions on beauty products, beauty boxes, makeup, skincare, let me know and I will see if I can help.


Lots of love,
Ryvita xxx

Best of Boudoir Prive Box Review

Best of Boudoir Prive Box (Dec 2011)

My Best of Boudoir Prive Boxes (two of them) arrived before Christmas. Since I have not seen any reviews about them other than the office one from Boudoir Prive, I thought I'd post one for the benefit of anyone who is still considering of purchasing one. Their link is here http://www.boudoirprive.co.uk/shop/the-best-of-boudoir-christmas-box.html
(FYI I paid for these boxes with my money and is not sponsored by anyone. All opinions are honest opinions from myself.) 

 My box includes the following:

1. STUDIOMAKEUP Rich Hydration Lipstick
2. STUDIOMAKEUP Black Liner Styler Pen
3. Zoya Nail Polish
4. Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Face Moisturiser
5. Korres Citrus Body Milk
6. Tropic Skincare Body Smooth
7. Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme
8. Rose & Co Rose Petal Salve
9. Dead Sea Spa Magik Silky Smooth Body Lotion
10. Rahua Voluminous Shampoo & Conditioner
11. Colbert MD Nourish Eye Cream

Wait.... what about the four extras as promised in the official video and on their website...? I have not seen anyone blogging about what they are... so here you go!

4 Extras from Best of Boudoir Prive Box

The four extras I got are: 

1. Cargo Boogie Nights Eye Pencil (glittery black)
2. Mai Couture Blot & Bronze (1 piece of blotting paper)
3. Agent Provocateur Eau de Parfum 1.5ml
4. Jannat Eau de Parfum (approximately 2ml? Not indicated on the packaging)

A few more photos of the products in detail:

Rahua Shampoo & Conditioner, Rose & Co Salve, Korres Body Milk, Tropic Body Polish, Dead Sea Spa Magik Body Lotion, Leonor Greyl Oil and Shampoo, Zoya Polish, StudioMakeup Eyeliner & Lipstick

Studio Makeup Eyeliner & Lipstick

Swatch of the StudioMakeup Lipstick (SRL-11 Really Red) and Eyeliner (Black)

Korres Body Milk, Leonor Greyl Oil (for hair), Dead Sea Spa Magik Body Lotion, Zoya Nail Polish (Marina)

Rose & Co Petal Salve, Colbert Eye Cream, Tropic Body Polish

I think this box is value for money - I paid £17 for each box (plus postage). I was going to buy the Rose Petal Salve anyway (£6 in Fortnam and Maison where I was doing my xmas shopping), and I can easily spend £11 for the rest. I love the eyeliner and lipstick - the lipstick is a bit too red for what i normally wear but the creamy texture means that I can now use it as a blusher to create that health glow after exercise (in my case, after my hot yoga class!). The little extras are also nice - the glittery eye pencil will be beauty for parties. The two perfumes smell quite good too - I don't normally wear perfume but little samples are always nice as there is no need to worry about accumulating 30ml bottles on my shelves! Buying two of these Best of BP boxes means that I now have back-up for everything (I already got the previous BP boxes - so I have 3 lots of some of the BP items now!)

As an aside, Boudoir Prive is now Jolie Box UK. Their December Box (first ever Jolie Box) is absolutely amazing. In a way it was sad that Boudoir Prive has changed (I love the old packaging more), but hopefully the new French HQ will be able to give more amazing boxes! p.s. I got an email from Jolie Box saying there won't be a January box for various reasons. So I'll have to wait for February for my next box.....

December was a crazy month in terms of my beauty boxes... I ordered Carmine (review to follow), Boudoir Prive (Dec box review to follow), two of the Best of Boudoir Prive boxes, and Feel Unique for January.... Beauty and fashion here we go. I hope you all have a happy 2012, one that is filled with joy and quality time with your friends and family. Until the next one. xxx