help:clear skin from Works With Water - drink your way to better skin!

This 100% natural skin supplement (now available in Superdrug) helps to clear spots and blemishes, all you have to do is drink it! I've been trying it out over the past month (it's recommended to take 1 sachet of this milk protein supplement powder daily for at least 4-6 weeks) and although I was very sceptical at first, since stopping using it, I can see my spotty skin coming back so I've come to the conclusion it works for me!

So how does it work? Each sachet of help:clear skin contains Praventin, a bioactive protein, rich in lactoferrin from milk protein, which has been shown to reduce the development of the bacteria responsible for many skin impurities, helping to prevent the formation of blemishes due to its antimicrobial effects.

All you have to do is dissolve the powder in at least 350ml of a non-carbonated drink such as water, milk, juice, even tea or coffee, or you can add to foods such as soup, yoghurt or cereal. It doesn't taste of anything at all so it's really easy to take.

I combined using help:clear skin with using a new skincare routine (Clinique's Anti-Blemish range) during a particularly stressful breakout of hormonal-related spots. To begin with, if anything my skin became worse as the new routine set in but by around week three, I started to see good results. I remember one day going out of the house completely foundation free (absolutely unheard of for me!) as my skin looked so clear, glowing and spot free! My skin became so clear I had the confidence to switch to a tinted moisturiser, another first for me.

As my month's supply ran out over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed my skin reverting back slightly to the occasional blemished state, and those annoying bumps under make-up starting to show. So I'll definitely be picking up some more packs from Superdrug, Boots, Waitrose or Holland & Barrett and seeing if they continue working their magic. £9.99 for seven sachets. Well worth a go in conjunction with a thorough skincare routine.

help:clear skin is also available from www.workswithwater.co.uk

Yes To Blueberries - Age Refresh Smoothing Daily Cleanser

Here's a gentle fruity cleanser for anyone looking to brighten and refresh their skin and achieve a more youthful look. Why blueberries? They're a secret anti-ageing weapon! Rich in anti-oxidants, these juicy fruits help fight the formation of free radicals that can damage the skin's microstructure. 

If, like me, you like your skin to feel really soft after cleansing, you'll love the coconut oil in this cleanser, a natural moisturiser which leaves skin feeling supple and smooth. And who couldn't do with a little refreshing and brightening too? The apple and lemon peel get to work on improving the skin's surface, sweeping away dirt to reveal fresher looking skin.

I've been massaging this lovely creamy formulation into my skin nightly (which in turn boosts circulation and gets skin glowing) then rinsing away with warm water to reveal clean skin that's super-soft, fresh and healthy. It's gorgeous on these cold darker nights when skin's screaming out for more moisture and something a little more nourishing. 

A few dry patches I had around the nose area have completely disappeared since using this. I've found it gives me much-needed extra hydration to my skin during the winter months. For best results follow during the day with Yes To Blueberries Intensive Firming Repair Moisturiser and at night with Yes To Blueberries Intensive Moisturising Night Repair Cream, both £19.99 for 50ml.

Yes To Blueberries Smoothing Daily Cleanser is available from www.victoriahealth.com priced £12.99.

 The Yes To range also includes Yes To Carrots, Yes To Tomatoes and Yes To Cucumbers.

Ogario London Revive & Shine Shampoo and Conditioner - just gorgeous!

Last Saturday I had my hair cut into a chic little bob which I love but I've struggled a bit since to re-create the sleek, shiny look I had when I left the salon ... until now! Perfectly timed, this super-stylish duo from Ogario London - a brand new launch - dropped through my door and has been my hair saviour ever since.

Personally speaking, this shampoo and conditioner have made the arm-aching job of blow-drying and styling my hair at home a million times easier. They help smooth and defrizz my hair as I dry, and the shine, OMG, it's amazing. My hair is now soft, silky and swingy ... it hasn't felt this full of health and bounce for ages. The compliments are already coming in on how glossy it looks!

The uplifting blend of eight essential oils in the shampoo and conditioner linger on the hair and are really refreshing in the shower too, especially in the morning (imagine the lush steamy scent which includes a subtle blend of lime, bergamot, orange and cedar). The unique Protein Protect formula is also packed with plant extracts, vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, all the nutrients hair needs.

The shampoo contains baobab, rooibos and nettle and lathers up into tiny creamy bubbles, which become creamier the more you massage into your scalp, it's just divine! The thick luscious conditioner, with hibiscus and horsetail, contains nourishing avocado oil too which is great for achieving a glass-like gleam. Hair combs through effortlessly after use, not a single tangle in sight!

The passion and wisdom that has gone into this exciting new product range really shines through. It's a complete gem and I hope, like my 'new' hair, it continues to go from strength to strength!

Ogario London products are available to buy online at www.ogariolondon.com

Revive and Shine Shampoo, for normal hair, £14.50

Revive and Shine Conditioner, for normal hair, £18.50

The range also includes a Hydrate and Shine Shampoo and a Hydrate and Shine Conditioner for dry/coloured hair (same prices as above), and a Restore and Shine Hair Masque for all hair types, £26.50.

 

City chic nails from Miners!

 

So here we are on a cold and blustery Friday afternoon ... who fancies being whisked off to New York, Bangok, Paris or London this weekend?

Wishful thinking maybe, so here's the next best thing! Inspired by some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, check out the four brand new nail shades for autumn/winter 11 from Miners! 

There's London's Calling, a demure goes-with-everything grey; Bangok Blues, a chic and classy navy; Fairytale of New York, for a green fashion fix, and my personal favourite, Weekend in Paris, a fruity berry shade. Also pictured below is Plum, guaranteed to brighten up any dull wintery day. Gorgeous!

£2.99 each, available from www.minerscosmetics.co.uk

Northern Lights Soap by Lush

When we're experiencing hot October days like today, we all need a crisp fresh soap to cool off with at the end of a sticky day ... and here's my absolute favourite, Lush's Northern Lights. 

So called because it's creator was inspired by the colourful auroras of the Northern Lights, this zingy soap combines lime and pine for a mood-lifting shower and squeaky-clean feel. Even the sight of this perky soap lifts my mood, it's fab! 

For your slice of freshness in the shower, pop in to Lush or visit www.lush.co.uk

£3.25 per 100g.

On the lash - Mary Kay's Lash Love mascara!

OMG, this is a marvellous mascara! I had an inkling it was going to be good when I heard that Anne Hathaway's make-up artist, Lee Pycroft, loved it, and I've got to say it's show-stoppingly good!

My eyelashes are pretty long and dark already (get me!) but this gem makes them look amazing. I tried the black (a deep, velvety and intense black) which lengthened, separated and defined like a dream. The brush is so precise that I found I could angle and lift the lashes at the outer corners to give that 'feline' look ... it looked liked I'd applied individual lashes at the corners. Not a single lash was missed, even the tiniest ones.

It doesn't run, smudge or flake and personally I found it lasted from the moment I put it on in the morning to when I removed it again at night. I loved the way it intensified the whole eye area but without that heavy, clogged up lash look.

There's a brown and a waterproof formulation too ... this is one mascara I'll definitely be investing in again and again! If you're looking for a new mascara and fancy a change, I'd highly recommend giving this 'magic wand' a go!

Order yours via the Mary Kay website, £16, www.marykay.co.uk