Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is one of those products that I kept reading about on various blogs, people seemed to absolute love it, and I every time I read about it I thought to myself, “I must try that.” And then would promptly forget. Earlier this year I actually remembered to treat myself to a tube, then promptly forgot I had bought it! Then earlier this month I discovered that I’m allergic to methylisothiazolinone so I went through my beauty drawers looking for something to sooth the sore, dry skin that was left after the last allergic reaction and spotted it.

As the name suggest, Origins Drink Up Intensive is applied at bedtime and works overnight to replenish moisture reserves and build a reservoir for the following day. The key ingredient, Japanese Seaweed, repairs the skin’s barriers to help prevent future dehydration. It sounded like exactly what my poor frazzled skin needed!

The directions suggest to massage onto clean skin then tissue of any excess. I have more of a ‘waste not, want not’ attitude so I applied just enough. A blob about the size of a large pea was plenty. It’s not thick or gloopy like a normal face mask, it feels more like a very rich, intense moisturiser, yet lightweight at the same time. It has a gorgeous, fruity scent which makes me go “mmm”.

In all honesty, I didn’t expect to see results from the first use, especially as my skin was so dried out. I expected maybe a little less redness, maybe a little less dryness. I thought it would take a few uses to see real improvement. So you can imagine my delight when I woke the next morning to a smoother, more supple, glowing and happy looking face. Not totally back to normal, but vastly improved. I used it again a couple of days later and once again the results the next morning were amazing. I now understand why every blogger raves about it!

My skin is now back to its normal happy self but I will continue to use this mask weekly, or maybe fortnightly, depending on my skin’s needs. It’s so good to just be able to stick some on at night and wake up to gorgeous soft skin. A 100ml tube costs £23.00 which is insanely good value for money as you only need a small amount each time. You can buy it from Origins website here or you can pick it up in places like John Lewis and House of Fraser.


Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is one of those products that I kept reading about on various blogs, people seemed to absolute love it, and I every time I read about it I thought to myself, “I must try that.” And then would promptly forget. Earlier this year I actually remembered to treat myself to a tube, then promptly forgot I had bought it! Then earlier this month I discovered that I’m allergic to methylisothiazolinone so I went through my beauty drawers looking for something to sooth the sore, dry skin that was left after the last allergic reaction and spotted it.

As the name suggest, Origins Drink Up Intensive is applied at bedtime and works overnight to replenish moisture reserves and build a reservoir for the following day. The key ingredient, Japanese Seaweed, repairs the skin’s barriers to help prevent future dehydration. It sounded like exactly what my poor frazzled skin needed!

The directions suggest to massage onto clean skin then tissue of any excess. I have more of a ‘waste not, want not’ attitude so I applied just enough. A blob about the size of a large pea was plenty. It’s not thick or gloopy like a normal face mask, it feels more like a very rich, intense moisturiser, yet lightweight at the same time. It has a gorgeous, fruity scent which makes me go “mmm”.

In all honesty, I didn’t expect to see results from the first use, especially as my skin was so dried out. I expected maybe a little less redness, maybe a little less dryness. I thought it would take a few uses to see real improvement. So you can imagine my delight when I woke the next morning to a smoother, more supple, glowing and happy looking face. Not totally back to normal, but vastly improved. I used it again a couple of days later and once again the results the next morning were amazing. I now understand why every blogger raves about it!

My skin is now back to its normal happy self but I will continue to use this mask weekly, or maybe fortnightly, depending on my skin’s needs. It’s so good to just be able to stick some on at night and wake up to gorgeous soft skin. A 100ml tube costs £23.00 which is insanely good value for money as you only need a small amount each time. You can buy it from Origins website here or you can pick it up in places like John Lewis and House of Fraser.


That’s a bit of a mouthful, isn’t it? Methylisothiazolinone (MI), apart from being a word that I cannot pronounce, is a powerful biocide and preservative that stops products going off, so extending their shelf life. It’s used in toiletries, make-up, baby products and paint. Yes, paint… So it must be pretty strong stuff!

You might be wondering why I’m writing about MI. Well, a few times I have mentioned that my skin has been having some very nasty reactions to beauty products. I would put a product on my face and within minutes my skin would be red, swollen and itchy. It would take about a week to ten days for it to calm down each time, leaving me with a very sad, sore, dry and angry-looking face.

I had put it down to my skin simply being more sensitive during pregnancy. But then I thought, why is my skin only reacting to certain products and not others, why is it so random? And in the midst of this pregnancy fog it occurred to me that maybe it was a specific ingredient that was causing the problem. So, like the geek I am, I wrote out the ingredients list of the three products that had caused the reaction so far (Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask, Ginvera BB Creme and Clarins Cleansing Milk) and compared them to see if they had same ingredients.

Lo and behold, all three products had two ingredients in common. Glycerin was the first, but I knew that was unlikely to be causing such a problem. MI was the other ingredient, so I chucked it into Google and was astounded to discover that it is second only to nickel in causing contact allergies. Yet it’s on the ingredients list of so many products, big name products too, and is in a lot of baby products. Those of you with little ones might remember there being a bit of a fuss in the media last year about baby wipes causing painful rashes – MI is the ingredient they were talking about. It seems that I have developed an allergy to it.

I’m now having to thoroughly check all of my products to see if MI is on the ingredients list and have had to get rid of loads, including my beloved Aussie shampoo and conditioner. My partner thinks it’s great, he has inherited lots of wonderful skincare goodies that I now can’t use!

So there you go, it turns out that my skin isn’t just suffering from pregnancy-related sensitivity. It’s something specific. Perhaps if you too find yourself having random reactions to make-up or beauty products check the ingredients list and see if it contains methylisothiazolinone.


Methylisothiazolinone

That’s a bit of a mouthful, isn’t it? Methylisothiazolinone (MI), apart from being a word that I cannot pronounce, is a powerful biocide and preservative that stops products going off, so extending their shelf life. It’s used in toiletries, make-up, baby products and paint. Yes, paint… So it must be pretty strong stuff!

You might be wondering why I’m writing about MI. Well, a few times I have mentioned that my skin has been having some very nasty reactions to beauty products. I would put a product on my face and within minutes my skin would be red, swollen and itchy. It would take about a week to ten days for it to calm down each time, leaving me with a very sad, sore, dry and angry-looking face.

I had put it down to my skin simply being more sensitive during pregnancy. But then I thought, why is my skin only reacting to certain products and not others, why is it so random? And in the midst of this pregnancy fog it occurred to me that maybe it was a specific ingredient that was causing the problem. So, like the geek I am, I wrote out the ingredients list of the three products that had caused the reaction so far (Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask, Ginvera BB Creme and Clarins Cleansing Milk) and compared them to see if they had same ingredients.

Lo and behold, all three products had two ingredients in common. Glycerin was the first, but I knew that was unlikely to be causing such a problem. MI was the other ingredient, so I chucked it into Google and was astounded to discover that it is second only to nickel in causing contact allergies. Yet it’s on the ingredients list of so many products, big name products too, and is in a lot of baby products. Those of you with little ones might remember there being a bit of a fuss in the media last year about baby wipes causing painful rashes – MI is the ingredient they were talking about. It seems that I have developed an allergy to it.

I’m now having to thoroughly check all of my products to see if MI is on the ingredients list and have had to get rid of loads, including my beloved Aussie shampoo and conditioner. My partner thinks it’s great, he has inherited lots of wonderful skincare goodies that I now can’t use!

So there you go, it turns out that my skin isn’t just suffering from pregnancy-related sensitivity. It’s something specific. Perhaps if you too find yourself having random reactions to make-up or beauty products check the ingredients list and see if it contains methylisothiazolinone.


September birchbox


september birchbox beauty boxseptember 2014 birchbox beauty boxseptember birchbox contents

The theme of the September beauty box from Birchbox is Happy Days and it is filled with goodies to remind you of happy summer days. I’m delighted because quite a few of this month’s samples are perfect for my hospital bag!

Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream: This dinky pot is just ideal for going in my hospital bag! The cream is said to banish dark circles and smooth fine lines, so something I will definitely need after giving birth.

Korres Citrus Shower Gel: A generous mini bottle of this gorgeous and refreshing shower gel that has gone straight into my hospital bag. I’m wondering if it will double up as a shampoo as well, as Korres products tend to be quite gentle.

ModelCo Power Lash Mascara: Yep, you’ve guessed it, it’s in my hospital bag! I quite like ModelCo make-up and this promises intensely black, lengthened lashes.

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum: I instantly thought of chocolate truffles, obviously that’s not what they meant! Offering protection from free radicals, improved skin firmness and a healthy glow, I’ll look forward to trying this out in my evening routine.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment: I love hair oils, although have never heard of this one. It’s a small sample but with oils a little usually goes a long way. I have popped it into my hospital bag!

Urban Fruit Magnificent Mango: Confession: I struggle to get Little N to eat fruit. However he LOVED these. So, I’m assuming they were delicious, I didn’t get a look in!

Happy Days Photo Clip: I thought this was a sweet little extra, I just need to choose a favourite photo to put in it.

I’m pretty happy with this month’s box, particularly as it has meant I have ticked off a few items from my hospital bag list! What do you think? If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link: http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. You’ll get 50 Birchbox points, equivalent to £5! The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.

Let me know your thoughts!






Birchbox – September Beauty Box

September birchbox


september birchbox beauty boxseptember 2014 birchbox beauty boxseptember birchbox contents

The theme of the September beauty box from Birchbox is Happy Days and it is filled with goodies to remind you of happy summer days. I’m delighted because quite a few of this month’s samples are perfect for my hospital bag!

Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream: This dinky pot is just ideal for going in my hospital bag! The cream is said to banish dark circles and smooth fine lines, so something I will definitely need after giving birth.

Korres Citrus Shower Gel: A generous mini bottle of this gorgeous and refreshing shower gel that has gone straight into my hospital bag. I’m wondering if it will double up as a shampoo as well, as Korres products tend to be quite gentle.

ModelCo Power Lash Mascara: Yep, you’ve guessed it, it’s in my hospital bag! I quite like ModelCo make-up and this promises intensely black, lengthened lashes.

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum: I instantly thought of chocolate truffles, obviously that’s not what they meant! Offering protection from free radicals, improved skin firmness and a healthy glow, I’ll look forward to trying this out in my evening routine.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment: I love hair oils, although have never heard of this one. It’s a small sample but with oils a little usually goes a long way. I have popped it into my hospital bag!

Urban Fruit Magnificent Mango: Confession: I struggle to get Little N to eat fruit. However he LOVED these. So, I’m assuming they were delicious, I didn’t get a look in!

Happy Days Photo Clip: I thought this was a sweet little extra, I just need to choose a favourite photo to put in it.

I’m pretty happy with this month’s box, particularly as it has meant I have ticked off a few items from my hospital bag list! What do you think? If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link: http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. You’ll get 50 Birchbox points, equivalent to £5! The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.

Let me know your thoughts!






37 weeks pregnant

The baby is now the size of a pumpkin which is just crazy! It is roughly 18-20 inches long and weighs around 6.2-9.2lb. The baby is still head down and still 2/5 palpable, meaning 3/5 of the baby’s head is engaged. This baby is choosing to lie with its back on my right side and limbs all over to the left, which is the opposite of what Little N did. Being head down is the most important thing so it’s all positive news!

I still haven’t made any progress since I updated you all at 32 weeks, I’m just so busy with Little N! I do need to just sit down and write a list (or several lists) of what I still need to do. One of the main things is to sort my hospital bag out. I have been doing some batch cooking so the freezer is getting stocked up. That’s something! The iron tablets I was prescribed have really made a difference to how I feel; I no longer feel sluggish and exhausted all the time.

I had an appointment with the birth planning midwife last week so now have a birth plan in place. I’ll be giving birth at consultant-led unit at the hospital and will have use of the pool, if it’s free, and they have agreed to use the cordless monitors so that I won’t feel strapped to the bed like I was during Little N’s birth.

My community midwife has been brilliant and has got me an expressing kit so I can express and freeze colostrum ahead of baby’s due date. For those of you that read about my experiences when Little N was born we had some trouble feeding so this time I want to be prepared with a stash, just in case.

37 weeks down, 3 weeks to go!


37 Weeks of Bump

37 weeks pregnant

The baby is now the size of a pumpkin which is just crazy! It is roughly 18-20 inches long and weighs around 6.2-9.2lb. The baby is still head down and still 2/5 palpable, meaning 3/5 of the baby’s head is engaged. This baby is choosing to lie with its back on my right side and limbs all over to the left, which is the opposite of what Little N did. Being head down is the most important thing so it’s all positive news!

I still haven’t made any progress since I updated you all at 32 weeks, I’m just so busy with Little N! I do need to just sit down and write a list (or several lists) of what I still need to do. One of the main things is to sort my hospital bag out. I have been doing some batch cooking so the freezer is getting stocked up. That’s something! The iron tablets I was prescribed have really made a difference to how I feel; I no longer feel sluggish and exhausted all the time.

I had an appointment with the birth planning midwife last week so now have a birth plan in place. I’ll be giving birth at consultant-led unit at the hospital and will have use of the pool, if it’s free, and they have agreed to use the cordless monitors so that I won’t feel strapped to the bed like I was during Little N’s birth.

My community midwife has been brilliant and has got me an expressing kit so I can express and freeze colostrum ahead of baby’s due date. For those of you that read about my experiences when Little N was born we had some trouble feeding so this time I want to be prepared with a stash, just in case.

37 weeks down, 3 weeks to go!


sanctuary mum to be stretch mark oil

I recently ran out of my beloved Clarins Tonic Body Oil which I had been massaging into my ever-growing bump on a daily basis in a bid to prevent stretch marks and to ease the itching that comes as the skin grows. Luckily I have some wonderful friends who got me a gift set from the Sanctuary Mum to Be range, so for the last couple of weeks I have been using Sanctuary Mum to Be Stretch Mark Oil.

This midwife-approved oil contains lots of nourishing oils to hydrate and smooth the skin. It is free from parabens and SLS and, more importantly for me, free from methylisothiazolinone. Amongst the ingredients are tamaru oil to prevent stretch marks, borage oil and rosehip seed oil to maintain suppleness, and wheatgerm oil, coconut oil and sweet almond oil to provide a moisture boost.

It has a subtle sweet natural scent which fades once the oil has sunk into the skin. It is easily absorbed and leaves my skin feeling soft and replenished, and relieved! I’ve been using it daily after my morning shower, as I did with the Clarins oil, but unlike with the Clarins oil I am often finding the need to apply it again before bed. I’m not sure if this is because it isn’t as nourishing or because my skin is simply being stretched more with this pregnancy. Either way, I’m a still stretch mark free zone!

It’s a lovely oil and one I would recommend to others. I would buy it again but with only a few weeks left of this pregnancy I don’t think I am going to need to repurchase it! You can buy it at Boots where it costs £10.25 for 150ml, making it a brilliantly priced alternative to the Clarins oil or the less natural but hugely popular Bio-Oil.


Sanctuary Mum to Be Stretch Mark Oil

sanctuary mum to be stretch mark oil

I recently ran out of my beloved Clarins Tonic Body Oil which I had been massaging into my ever-growing bump on a daily basis in a bid to prevent stretch marks and to ease the itching that comes as the skin grows. Luckily I have some wonderful friends who got me a gift set from the Sanctuary Mum to Be range, so for the last couple of weeks I have been using Sanctuary Mum to Be Stretch Mark Oil.

This midwife-approved oil contains lots of nourishing oils to hydrate and smooth the skin. It is free from parabens and SLS and, more importantly for me, free from methylisothiazolinone. Amongst the ingredients are tamaru oil to prevent stretch marks, borage oil and rosehip seed oil to maintain suppleness, and wheatgerm oil, coconut oil and sweet almond oil to provide a moisture boost.

It has a subtle sweet natural scent which fades once the oil has sunk into the skin. It is easily absorbed and leaves my skin feeling soft and replenished, and relieved! I’ve been using it daily after my morning shower, as I did with the Clarins oil, but unlike with the Clarins oil I am often finding the need to apply it again before bed. I’m not sure if this is because it isn’t as nourishing or because my skin is simply being stretched more with this pregnancy. Either way, I’m a still stretch mark free zone!

It’s a lovely oil and one I would recommend to others. I would buy it again but with only a few weeks left of this pregnancy I don’t think I am going to need to repurchase it! You can buy it at Boots where it costs £10.25 for 150ml, making it a brilliantly priced alternative to the Clarins oil or the less natural but hugely popular Bio-Oil.


As a mum to a eczema-prone toddler and a new baby due in a matter of weeks, finding laundry products suitable for sensitive skin has been a bit of a minefield. I was delighted to be able to test out new Surcare Laundry Sachets, little pillows of non-biological laundry detergent which promise to get your clothes clean without irritating sensitive skin, even at temperatures as low as 30°C.

Surcare Laundry Sachets sensitive

Containing no dyes, enzymes or acids, Surcare products have nothing in to irritate skin – perfect for babies and people with sensitive skin. Surcare laundry products are non biological, completely fragrance free and dermatologically tested and approved. I’ve been using Surcare Laundry Sachets instead of my usual detergent for all of our household’s laundry over the last week and have been very impressed with the results. Even at 30°C and on a quick wash cycle our clothes have come out clean, stain-free, soft and smelling fresh.

Trying a new detergent does make me panic a little in case it causes Little N’s eczema to flare up however he has suffered no irritation at all whilst we’ve used these sachets and I have even felt confident enough to use them to wash the new baby’s things. I’ve tried them on clothes, towels, bedding, you name it! The sachets are also hugely convenient as they are simply placed in the drum before adding the clothes; no need for measuring or scooping, thus making my life a little easier.

Surcare Laundry Sachets
 
Surcare Laundry Sachets come in packs of 10 and are available at most supermarkets costing £3.99. For more information check out the Surcare website here: http://www.surcare.co.uk/

Surcare are also searching for people to become part of their testing panel! They will send Surcare products to test and review, as well as asking for feedback on new product development. To apply to be part of the panel all you need to do is email surcare@smokinggunpr.co.uk



 
 

Disclosure: I received this product for free for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.



REVIEW: Surcare Laundry Sachets

As a mum to a eczema-prone toddler and a new baby due in a matter of weeks, finding laundry products suitable for sensitive skin has been a bit of a minefield. I was delighted to be able to test out new Surcare Laundry Sachets, little pillows of non-biological laundry detergent which promise to get your clothes clean without irritating sensitive skin, even at temperatures as low as 30°C.

Surcare Laundry Sachets sensitive

Containing no dyes, enzymes or acids, Surcare products have nothing in to irritate skin – perfect for babies and people with sensitive skin. Surcare laundry products are non biological, completely fragrance free and dermatologically tested and approved. I’ve been using Surcare Laundry Sachets instead of my usual detergent for all of our household’s laundry over the last week and have been very impressed with the results. Even at 30°C and on a quick wash cycle our clothes have come out clean, stain-free, soft and smelling fresh.

Trying a new detergent does make me panic a little in case it causes Little N’s eczema to flare up however he has suffered no irritation at all whilst we’ve used these sachets and I have even felt confident enough to use them to wash the new baby’s things. I’ve tried them on clothes, towels, bedding, you name it! The sachets are also hugely convenient as they are simply placed in the drum before adding the clothes; no need for measuring or scooping, thus making my life a little easier.

Surcare Laundry Sachets
 
Surcare Laundry Sachets come in packs of 10 and are available at most supermarkets costing £3.99. For more information check out the Surcare website here: http://www.surcare.co.uk/

Surcare are also searching for people to become part of their testing panel! They will send Surcare products to test and review, as well as asking for feedback on new product development. To apply to be part of the panel all you need to do is email surcare@smokinggunpr.co.uk



 
 

Disclosure: I received this product for free for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.



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