Heated Rollers

I adore heated rollers, and even more since seeing how beautiful bouncy waves look on Kate Middleton. I've always used Carmen set to go travel rollers, which were my Mum's years ago, but they only include 9 rollers which just isn't enough as I have very thick hair. I have been on the hunt for new rollers with at least 12-15 rollers for a wedding that I am going to....and I have recently purchased Babyliss Pro Professional 30 piece set.

Before I review these, I have tried another set of rollers owned by my friend. These were Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Heated Hair Rollers. I was not particularly impressed with these as my hair didn't curl particularly well and the curls fell out within 15-30 mins. The rollers didn't seem to heat up too much, perhaps because they were 'flocked' (covered with a non-slip material).

As a result, I researched many different rollers on the internet and decided to purchase Babyliss Pro Professional 30 piece set. I have just used them and I am happy to report that they have left my hair full of gorgeous curls and heated up nearly to the level of my old Carmen rollers - which from reading many reviews is a result!

I would recommend these rollers for anyone with thick hair like mine, whose hair does have a tendency to drop. They are expensive - £36-£49.99 depending on where you get them- but for me they are much better than the Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Heated Hair Rollers £26.99, as I can actually use them with good results.

Lumie Clear Update

So, I have been using Lumie Clear for a nearly two months now. I updated you just under a month ago on my progress and since then there has been an improvement, especially on my forehead!

Results:
The 'under the skins' have certainly improved, although they still haven't gone completely. Last time I reported a great improvement in my right cheek and forehead....and this time I can report an improvement in my left cheek - hurrah! My family have noticed a positive improvement in my skin, which is always a bonus!!

I think this is a product which definitely helps my acne, although it is not a complete miracle cure so far. It is definitely a great product to use if, like me, your acne is very prone to flaring up and hasn't been (so far) 'cured' whilst taking anything other than prescription medicine.

My skin has only ever been completely acne free when on the drug Roaccutane, and then after stopping my skin generally gets worse. Lumie Clear, however is the first treatment whereby I have had positive results without taking medicine. Of course, I have used skincare etc which has made it worse before  and stopping using it has calmed it back down, but I haven't actually come across a product that had improved my skin - until now.

In conclusion, Lumie Clear has had positive results so far but it is not a complete cure. I definitely will continue to use this treatment, although it isn't easy to use everyday for 45mins (that's how long I use it to target both cheeks and my forehead) in the longterm. Even if no further improvement are made from using this treatment, I am happy with the fact that I have found something which does help and improve my skin. I will definitely, at least, in the longterm use it to keep my acne at a positive stage and most likely use it more when my skin is in outbreak mode or I have something special coming up such as a birthday.

Hope this review has helped acne suffers out there! I will post again if there are any more changes. I'm guessing this is a longterm treatment not a quick cure all....and afterall, even when I have been on prescription medicine it takes a good month to see much change, and longer for a complete cure.

Read here for first post on Lumie Clear
Read here for second post on Lumie Clear
Read here for third post on Lumie Clear
Read here for fourth post on Lumie Clear

Magnetic London

My fiance's Nan bought me Nail's In Magnetic Polish for Christmas and I adore them! Whenever I wear either the purple or the silver-grey someone comments on how unusual they are.
The silvery-grey polish is called Trafalgar Square
The purple polish is called Houses of Parliament.
(I love the fact that they are named after London tourist attractions)

How to use:
Firstly, I always make sure I apply a thin coat to start (as I find that the magnet can make some area slightly thin if you don't).
Secondly, I apply a thicker coat to one nail at a time and then quickly hold the magnet over the nail for around 8 seconds!
And....that's it! Yes, it really is that easy. 

Frizz-Ease Delight

I decided to try a styling spray for the first time the other day. My John Frieda shampoo and conditioner were on offer in Tesco - 3 products for £10, so I bought the styling spray as a cheap little extra!

This product is absolutely fantastic. My hair is very prone to 'puffiness' if I just blow dry it, and if I leave my hair in a towel for a bit longer (say 15mins) it is a nightmare to try and create a smooth look with a hairdryer and brush!

Typically, the first night I wanted to try the spray I got distracted and ended up leaving my hair in a towel so it was half dry! I thought I'd give the product a try anyway and......amazing! It left my hair sleek and manageable. The fact that I had left it to dry for so long didn't seem to matter.

I have used it a few times since then and have been pleased with the results. Each time my hair has dried easily, and kept it's style. I would recommend this product to anyone with hair which can be more difficult to style and is prone to 'puff'!

Lumie Clear Update...

I updated you all on the 20th June regarding my progress using Lumie Clear Red and Blue Light Treatment. At the time, my skin had begun to see an improvement!

Exactly 2 weeks later I am pleased to report that my forehead and the right cheek are looking a lot clearer again, with the 'under the skins' continuing to reduce in size and amount. It hasn't completely stopped new spots from appearing, but there are less. My left cheek is improving but, unfortunately, not as quickly.

So far I am pleased with the results, and my skin generally is looking fresh and glowy. I don't know if this is a direct effect of the lamp or the fact that my skin is clearer, but either way my skin is looking GOOD!

I will continue to use Lumie Clear and keep you updated.....I'm hoping that my skin will continue to improve and eventually clear completely! Although it is taking a while, no treatment is an overnight fix. Roaccutane took around a month to work for me (and that was a very strong acne drug). I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will be completely successful in clearing my acne and I can then use it as a long term solution for my stubborn and persistant acne!

For the first post click here.
For the second post click here.
For the third post click here.

Lumie Clear Skin Update....

So, for those of you who have been following my posts (1 and 2) about Lumie Clear Red and Blue Light Treatment you will know that my skin flared up in the first few days of using this product. I have now been using Lumie Clear for over a week and I am pleased to report that the 'storm' has subsided and my skin is looking decidedly clearer!!

I read once in a book, from an acne sufferer, that the first thing that she did every morning was feel her skin to see if any new spots had appeared overnight. This is something that I can relate too. When I wake up I always have a little feel of my face (without really putting too much thought into it) to see if any new blemishes await me! For the last few days my skin has felt smoother and less bumpy. I notice, in particular, a difference when I wash my face; the water feels like it 'glides' more easily off my face and it feels more 'shiny' and 'silky'. I know 'shiny' is a funny choice of word as it doesn't generally describe a feeling, more a visual description, but that is exactly how I have always 'felt' when my skin has started to clear before (when I was on roaccutane). Perhaps those of you have had acne before understand what I mean by that comment! It feels tighter, and reminds me of a blemish free, shiny object - or skin!

Anyway, so far I am pleased with the results. I will continue to use the treatment and let you know what happens next.......

Batiste Dry Shampoo Review

As well as having greasy skin, I also have greasy hair. I read over and over that you shouldn't wash your hair everyday but, for people with oily skin it isn't often a reality.I have always had to wash my hair everyday, unless I was having a pj day. That is until....

Batiste. A friend recommended Batiste Dry Shampoo to me when I was complaining one day about having to wash and dry my hair every single night. Batiste is a spray powdery style mixture which absorbs grease and leaves hair looking fresh and volumized. I bought it from Boots, still unsure, and tried it the next day. Ever since then I have been in love with this miracle powder/product which means I now can wash my hair every other day!

 The one downside of Batiste is that it can leave a slight white residue in the hair, but brushing the hair firmly at the root usually disperses the powder. I do find it can feel powdery if you rub your hands through your hair but it gives the appearance of clean, freshly washed hair. If you have brunette hair you can buy Batiste with a hint of colour. They sell it online here and here. I'm sure you can also buy it in large shops such as Boots.

How to use:

1) Shake the can really well. If you don't it doesn't work nearly as well!
2) Then, section your hair and spray onto the roots (holding the can 30cm away from hair).
3) Leave on the hair and massage it through your roots so that the product is absorbed. This also helps get rid of the white residue.
4) Brush your hair (firmly if the product is sill slightly visible) and style as normal.

For more information look here.

Have you used it? What do you think?

Lumie Clear update

The Storm before the Calm?

General Usage

So, I have been using Lumie Clear every night since Friday. The recommended time to use the lamp is 15mins when held directly against the skin thus the treatment plan takes 45mins; I hold it against both my cheeks and my forehead!

Using Lumie Clear can be tiresome as I find the goggles slightly uncomfortable and it is time consuming - especially if you wanted to add any other difficult areas. For those of you who might be concerned about skin sensitivity I am delighted to report that using the lamp hasn't caused any irritation or redness!

Results so far

As you can see from the photos I took on Friday (look here), I have many 'under the skins'. Since using Lumie Clear some of these have turned into larger whiteheads/blind spots. Now, although I am disappointed my skin has not 'improved' I do need to think back to when I was prescribed Roaccutane by my dermatologist (which cleared up my skin perfectly whilst I was on the tablets). Before my acne cleared I did have an outbreak (quite large) which I was very upset with, however my dermatologist had warned me that it would happen! I guess 'under the skins' need to go somewhere; they don't, and can't, just disappear into nothing.

It is with that in mind that I am still feeling positive about the treatment. Perhaps the correlation with my outbreak whilst on Roaccutane is an indication that Lumie Clear is causing a reaction from my skin which, fingers crossed, will be positive in the long run.

I will keep you updated on the progress!!
Please leave a comment if there is something in particular you would like to ask/say or if you have used Lumie Clear in the past.


P.S For those interested- I have been using MyFitnessPal for a few days and so far I am really pleased! I have been updating my calorie consumption after breakfast, lunch and dinner and am finding it really helpful to see how many calories I've used and how many I have left! Definitely worth it so far....let's see if it makes a difference on the scales soon!

Clinique Superbalanced OIL-FREE Foundation

I’ve been a fan of Clinique foundation ever since my Mum first introduced me to their products when I was embarrassed about my acne and trying to hide it with cheap pressed powder out of a makeup box in my bedroom. It was the start of a love for the high end brand that seemed ahead of its time with products that were light enough for girls, like me, with problematic skin.

Over the years I have experimented with lots of other brands of foundations, but unfortunately they left me with more oily, spotty skin.  Although I still do suffer from acne when using Superbalanced foundation, it does not make my acne any worse. For instance, when I haven’t used it for a while (say on holiday) and start using it again it does not cause my skin to become more inflamed, greasy or spotty. A definite bonus! Clinique make, and have always made, light, oil-free make-up that suits my acne prone, oily skin!

This is a product I would thoroughly recommend to fellow readers with acne prone, oily skin. It offers moderate coverage, doesn’t clog pores and it leaves my skin feeling fresh, rather than ‘heavy’ or ‘greasy’ as so many do. 

Buy here.

Acne Miracle?

I have had acne since I was about 11 years old. It started with what I call ‘under the skins’ which are little hard pimple/lumps in my pores. They aren’t huge red spot/boils, or whiteheads, but they certainly are noticeable when the light hits your face at certain angles. After a while I started to develop more ‘normal’ acne – white heads, red blind spots – which started to scar. I used topical lotions prescribed by the doctor, antibiotics etc however, none seemed to work successfully.

I ended up going on a really strong acne drug with high levels of vitamin A (with lots of possible side effects) which cleared my acne up wonderfully. As far as I am aware, the majority if people who use such strong drugs usually maintain their acne free state. I, on the other hand, did not and preceded to develop acne again – thankfully the majority were ‘under the skins’ and so less obvious. I went on the acne drug a few more times but have been exploring other options as my acne is getting steadily worse again.

Hope these photos give you a rough idea of my acne. 

After much research I invested in Lumie Clear which is blue/red light therapy:See here

My aim is to use Lumie Clear every night for the recommended treatment time and keep you all updated as to how it goes! Hopefully, this review will be helpful and fellow acne suffers will learn from this particular blog, and maybe even get rid of their acne for good!

Acne miracle? We shall see. xox

Note: I will be keeping my washing/foundation/powder etc routine the same to ensure as fair a test as possible!