Yu.Be Moisturising Skin Cream

I've had a bit of a skin care obsession ever since my friend introduced me to blogger skin care guru, Caroline Hirons. From ditching the baby wipes which she deems are only ever acceptable for the three Fs - festivals, flights and fan... you get the rest! To double cleansing and hunting for the perfect balm cleanser and acid toner. My skincare routine has been overhauled.

The above moisturiser is featured in a Pixiwoo favourites video and was recommended to Sam by Caroline (her interview with them is fantastic). Aside from that, I cannot find that much UK information on the product. I think the selling point is the high glycerin content. It is a cult product in Japan and has been in production since 1957. It claims to offer 'head to toe hydration all year long' and as well as containing high levels of glycerin it also contains vitamins B2, C and E. The moisturiser can be used all over the body and a little goes a long way. 

The moisturiser is bright yellow in colour, absorbs quickly and has a strong camphor scent (think Vix but nicer). However, I find it very calming and have taken to applying the cream in bed as part of my nighttime routine. Rest assures though if it is not your thing that the scent does fade quickly. I cannot say that I have experienced miracle over night results as with some reviews, however, I have had a dry patch on my right jaw line that refused to disappear no matter what moisturisers or oils I used and it has all but gone. I would also say that my skin feels plumper especially around the cheek area. I have yet to try it on other problem areas I have as I bought it as a facial moisturiser however, I do suffer discolouration on my chest from severe dry skin and am hopeful that this product could be the answer to finally eradicating my love bit like blotches!

There are a lot of mixed messages on the Internet as to the benefits of glycerin. Some scientists singing its benefits others slating it but personally, I can see this becoming a cure-all, bedside cabinet  staple in my household for years to come. 

The Zen Lifestyle Beauty Event

Recently I received an invite to attend the Zen Lifestyle re-vamp event which took place at their Teviot Place salon in Edinburgh. It was an exclusive event for Bloggers, Press and other Business Owners with the opportunity to try out some of their signature treatments such as HD Brows, Blink & Go lashes and express Shellac.

I jumped at the chance to go. So armed with my trusty sidekick and bosom buddy Cat from the "Cat's Pyjamas" we rocked up to see what all the fuss was about. We were greeted at the door by a lovely hostess with a fabulous necklace and given a glass of Prosecco (good Prosecco at that which was frequently topped up!). The salon is gorgeous. Sleek, shiny with accents of signature purple. The salon appears deceptively small at first but there are two separate treatment rooms as well as a nail bar upstairs and treatment rooms and a brow bar downstairs.

This was the first Scottish Blogger Network event both Cat and I had attended. I've been blogging for a year and Cat's new to the blogging world (well the writing side anyway). It was nice to be able to meet some people face to face and of course to meet lots of new bloggers and share the love. We were too late to experience any of the treatments which had to be pre booked but the politeness of the staff and the atmosphere of the salon made up for this. We witnessed several treatments and their results such as India from India Alexandra's very neat HD brows and Ashleigh from All Out Gorgeous' pretty in pink Shellac manicure. We also saw a Fraxel Laser treatment take place; a medical procedure which uses a laser to improve texture and smoothness by treating minute sections of the skin but if you're interested in this it'll cost you £895 per session and 3-6 are recommended!

It's easy to see why the salon won UK salon of the year at the Professional Beauty awards last year. They offer a vast array of treatments from beauty to spa to advanced skin treatments and their staff are extremely welcoming. You can visit their website at www.zen-lifestyle.com or follow them on Facebook at ZenLifestyle or Twitter @Zen_Lifestyle. And they blog too at zen-lifestyle.com/blog.

Oh! We also got a fab goody bag with a full size Murad cleanser and a mini version of their candles which are on sale in the salon. You can see me swinging mine in front of the famous Greyfriar's Bobby monument which is minutes from the salon. After the event Cat and I enjoyed some Tex-Mex at Illegal Jack's which was a first for me and was damn tasty!

Pictured above are:
Claire of J'adore. and Demi of Demi Beverley/ Cat of The Cat's Pyjamas and myself!

India of India Alexandra World/ Hayley of Water Painted Dreams and Charlotte of Colours and Carousels.

I will add captions and links to this post at a later date. I'm am currently sans wifi and sans laptop as I am off to the caravan for a few days and am blogging from my phone... Where there's a will there's a way!

Skin Deep

The thought of having a bathroom shelf to myself was something that filled me with delight. I would place all my skincare items on said shelf, routinely cleanse, tone and moisturise and would have the skin of an angel. Cue reality. Like a lot of people I find it quite difficult to stick to my skin care regime rigidly however, I know it is important the closer I get to thirty! I have been using Liz Earle products for nearly two years. Their products were one of my early blogging discoveries but I'm sure, like me, you'll have read copious amounts of posts on the infamous Hot Cloth Cleanser. So this post will focus on Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate and on a recent purchase Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant.

Product 1:
I was at a Dermalogica event recently and came away with the Daily Microfoliant. I was looking for a product that wouldn't aggravate my sensitive skin so this seemed like the best option. The adviser said it would be helpful for getting rid of under the skin blemishes which I have a lot of round my mouth and chin and for exfoliating the dry skin on my jaw line. The product is a rice based powder; you decant a small amount onto wet hands and rub together to create a frothy paste which you massage into the skin after cleansing. It has a very distinctive smell but the consistency is nice. First confession; I haven't used it everyday. In fact, I used it religiously for about a week and a bit but it brought out so many imperfections that I cut back on the "daily". I'm hoping persistence is the key with this product and that if I try again I will be on my way to angel soft skin by week two.

Product 2:
The above is a roller ball travel sized version of Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate. The product is designed to be used at night. It smells gorgeous and contains argan oil (if it's good enough for our hair then it's good enough for my face). The instructions state that you should apply the oil all over the face, inhale the "aroma" then massage upwards and outwards for visibly plump and smooth skin. I use this product on average of once a week but have found myself going to it more often over the winter months when simply moisturising hasn't been enough. I'd love to get the full size version as it has a pump dispenser but it's pricey at £40.25.

What does your skin routine consist of? What are your miracle products? Share ladies, share! ... The world will be a prettier, plumper and smoother place if you do!