Anti-Ageing Products - When should we start using them??

Hello Everyone,

Let me tell you about a recent topic of conversation amongst friends “When is a good time to start using anti-ageing products”.

Some people would argue that anti-ageing creams can be “very harsh to young skin”, whilst others would beg to differ and believe “if you want to continue to have fresh youthful looking skin, you need to start using anti-ageing products early on”, so the question is how early is when?

I guess that is what sparked this whole topic off for me, should I, or shouldn't I? or maybe we should grow old gracefully like they did in the good old days.

I had two products recommended to me by a friend who started using them when she was 35 years old. I still have five years to go till I am 35, but I thought why not give it a go to see if I notice any difference.

The two products seem to be harmless. The first one is the from the Dr Organic range, it is the Moroccan Argan Facial Oil, 30 ml, this is priced at £14.99, from Holland & Barrett and is described as an advanced anti-ageing serum, it promises to restore skin elasticity and firmness, speeds up cell oxygenation and leaves skin supple and soft as well as nourished.

I have been using this for less than a month now, and I am absolutely loving the results, I am glad to say that I have not yet broken out, usually when using new skin care I tend to break out especially when using oil based products. 

I have also noticed my skin is a lot brighter after using this and I feel my skin is feeling very hydrated as well as looking very fresh on a daily basis. Overall I would give this the heads up, and definitely recommend for the above reasons, It is now a part of both my daily and night time routine. I think it is well worth the investment. I have been using this every day for just under a month and have noticed dramatic changes, make up application is also a lot smoother and more fun.

The second product is from an American range called Hollywood Style, they have all sorts of skin care ranging from Mud masks to skin whitening creams, to exfoliators and a whole lot more. I was recommended the Anti-wrinkle moisturising cream from this range, I must admit when I went in to purchase it I was very tempted to pick up a few more products from the range. 

I definitely will be purchasing more on my next visit as I was very impressed with the results. You get 150ml of product for £2.99, which is extremely cheap for such amazing products. They are available in Pak Cosmetic stores they have several branches around London and they also have a website: www.pakcosmetics.com. These are described as Medicinal/Herbal treatments.

The product claims to soften, and smooth away fine lines, and wrinkles for younger, healthier and firmer skin. I guess in all honesty the medicinal treatment did slightly put me off, but at the same time it states that it is a herbal treatment, I wouldn't describe this as being harsh on the skin, also it smells nice which is a bonus. 

As mentioned in my previous post I have suffered from dry and very sensitive skin in the past, this has been an on-going problem for me so I tend to play it safe and don’t venture out to much when it comes to skin care products. However I really wanted to try out this range. And I must say I was not disappointed.

Have you tried any of the Hollywood Style range? If so please leave some comments I would love to read your thoughts and opinions.

Have a great week!

xx

Cetraben | A cure for dry skin

Hello Ladies,

Today I am going to share with you my go to cure for dry skin, It is an emollient which softens and soothes the skin.

I was initially prescribed this by my GP as my skin started reacting to various different moisturisers I had been using. After taking an allergy test I discovered that I was allergic to certain ingredients often used in most face creams and moisturisers.

My symptoms were swollen eyes and dry peeling skin, so once I started using this, I didn’t see the point in experimenting again and have used it ever since. 

The cream can be brought in any pharmacy over the counter in Boots, Superdrugs, Tesco and any other pharmacies. You do not need a prescription to purchase this. It is very similar to E45, although I have used this once and my skin didn’t like it at all.

It is called Cetreben and its purpose is to protect dry/chapped skin as well as eczema. It contains white soft paraffin and light liquid paraffin which are emollients that rehydrate dry skin.

It does leave skin a little oily, as it helps the skin to retain moisture, so it doesn’t dry out, however I find that after make-up application if I use a setting powder e.g. Ben Nye Banana Powder/Rimmel Stay Matte setting powder I do tend to stay matte throughout the day, in less it is a very hot day, make-up setting spray also helps.

It comes in various sizes I have a small one (as can be seen in the image above this is a must in my bag at all times) it is 50g and costs £1.89, the  other one I have is the larger bottle at  next size up is 500g and costs £9.25. Any pharmacy will have this, it will be behind the counter but you do not need a prescription, prices above are quoted from ChemistDirect.com

Even though this does not need to be prescribed by the doctor and can be purchased over the counter, this does not mean it will work for everyone, so make sure you do a patch test before applying to the full face, or seek medical advice before using.

One of my other go to moisturisers is the Mac Strobe Cream I have also reviewed that here.

Hope this helps, please feel free to leave any comments below.

Urban Decay | Chill MakeUp Setting Spray

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I am on a roll, second blog of the week, hopefully I will keep this up now that I have settled back to my “normal” routine.

I have so many new products and Fashion items to blog about, I am getting through them slowly but surely. Today’s Review is the Urban Decay Chill Makeup setting spray.

Before going away on holiday I was looking for a makeup setting spray and came across two in particular one was the Mac’s Fix + and the second was the Urban Decay Chill. The reason I needed a setting spray was because I was going to be away for three weeks, and the weather was 35 degrees if not more every day. There was no point spending 15-20 minutes a day on make up only for it to be melted within ten minutes of leaving the hotel.

I went for the Urban Decay Just Chill because I happened to be at Debenhams purchasing my Naked 3 palette and I thought why not, it’s another item to cross of on my holiday shopping list. I had read and seen many good reviews of the Chill, on peoples blogs as well as YouTube.

This was £20.00 from Debenhams, link is Here

I had posted a pic of this a whilst on holiday for those of you who follow me on Instagram, it was a saviour to say the least.

So this product claims to do all of the following:

No smudging or settling into fine lines.

Stop makeup meltdown.

Chill features cooling time-release Temperature Control Technology that actually chills the surface of your makeup

Perfect for drier or combination skin,

Clinically tested formula holds foundation, eyeshadow, blush and concealer in place.

The result?

Yes I found that in 35 degrees my makeup did not smudge, smear or leak (eyeliner). Dubai has air conditioning almost everywhere, but even when I was on the beach it stayed put. I have combination skin, and I feel it helped control the natural oils on my face, and gave me a dewy smoother finish, which made my makeup look fresh all day long.

Application

I applied this to my finished face of makeup, at a distance of about an arm’s length away from my face, I then sprayed in the shape of an X so two sprays, ensuring that all the face was covered, the spray contains very fine particles and you can barely feel it on your face for a second, once it has dried, it’s like you never applied it.

Just a quick note, this will not make your lipstick last all day, or any other lip product for that matter, it is mainly for Foundation, eye shadow, blush and concealer.

Has anyone else tried this?

I would love to read any comments or suggestions so please feel free to leave them.

Until next time enjoy!

xxxxx

Sigma Brushes | Review

Hello Ladies,

It has been a while since my last blog post, this is due to me being away and also working on the new line.

Today I wanted to rave about the Sigma brushes, for the past couple of years my go to brushes have mainly been the real techniques range for use with foundation, concealer and powder this was mainly because they were great quality, and reasonably priced.

After reading various different reviews and  watching Youtube videos I thought I would try out the Sigma brushes. They are not as pricey as the Mac brushes, in my opinion they are reasonably priced for the brush quality you are getting.

To start off with I purchased two brushes from the Sigma Kabuki range:

The first is the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush, this is a dense flat brush which is perfect for applying liquid foundation. It does mention in the description on the website it is ideal for flat surfaces but it works for me all over the face. The bristles are made from Sigma's synthetic HD filament, and feel so soft on the face, along with the chunky handle it definitely is a luxurious brush. When using this brush I get great coverage and a flawless finish every time.

I purchased this from Cocktail Cosmetics, £15.95 for the brush with an extra £3.50 for delivery but they seem to be out of stock a lot of the time, hence the reason I ordered the second brush from Beauty Chamber (Delivery charges are also cheaper).

Application: I tend to pump out the foundation on the back of my hand and spread it evenly on the brush, I then apply to the face in circular motions, pressing into the skin for a more natural finish. I have also noticed that you can never get to much product on the brush, once you apply, it is very evenly spread onto the skin. This is a new favourite of mine, since using this I have not looked back at the real technique brushes or my beauty blender.

Comparisons:

I find that in comparison to both the real techniques stippling brush and the expert face brush (These are the two main brushes I have been using on my face for the last few years) the Sigma brush gives me a more natural finish. The real techniques brushes sometimes leave streaks on my face, and they really hold onto the product so you don't get an even consistency across your face, as well as the brushes needing a wash every week, with the Sigma brushes they always deposit all of the product on the face, and the brush doesn't cling onto the product.

Here is an image of the brushes from the top, just to give you an idea of how dense they are:

I have been through two stippling brushes as they shed hair so frequently, and often fall out (on the face) whilst applying the foundation. So I have vowed not to purchase this particular brush ever again.

I was so impressed with the Sigma range I have already ordered my next one which is the: Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki Brush, I will use this to apply concealer, this was purchased from Beauty Chamber for £15.95 and £2.99 delivery. Link is here. They also have free delivery if your order is over £50.

Seeing's as this just arrived yesterday I can't really review it, I am sure it will be amazing, let me know if it's something you are interested in.

Please leave me a comment if you have used either of these brushes and loved them...

Until next time have a great week, two days to go!

xxx

Back to London

Hello Ladies,

I hope you are all doing well, So I have been Mia for a few weeks now, this was due to my husband and I travelling.

We were visiting Dubai in the Middle East and then on to Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan.

I am also currently working on a  new collection, which I am very excited about, more info coming soon.

I will be blogging about my trip so keep your eyes peeled for that, and also let me know any other posts you may be interested in.

Don’t forget you can check out my Instagram on: www.instagram.com/sasoomcouture

Twitter on: www.twitter.com/sasoomcouture,

and Facebook on: www.facebook.com/sasoomcouture

One more working day left till the weekend, hang in there!

xxxxx

Seventeen Lip Lustre | Review

Hello Ladies,

Today will be a quick review on the Seventeen Lip Lustre range which is stocked at Boots.

I have only previously tried the 48 hour semi-permanent eye liner by Seventeen. This has amazing staying power. You can find a link to the blog post I did for that (here). This is my second purchase from the range other then a few nail polishes which I have purchased over the years.  

I was on the hunt for a red lip gloss, I wanted it to be rich in colour and wanted to wear it as a lipstick rather than a gloss over a lipstick. On a trip to Boots I came across the lip lustre range from Seventeen. I found them to be highly pigmented and long lasting which is exactly what I was looking for. 

The shade is called “Wild One” and is priced at £3.99 which is a bargain compared to other drug store products of the same quality. In fact I have a huge range of drug store lip glosses and this is by far one of the best. I purchased this one in December last year and have used it on many different occasions.

It has a wand application, which gives me a precise finish, the staying power is also pretty good for a lip gloss.

I have been holiday shopping recently as I am going away next Friday to Dubai, and thought I should top up on my nude/summery lip products, as I was so impressed with the Seventeen lip lustres, I went back into boots to purchase another. I went for this nude/peach toned colour called "Ice Maiden" 

This is just the colour I was looking for, only problem is that it is nowhere near as pigmented as the previous shade I brought in red. I was actually rather disappointed, hence I have now decided I can use it over Mac's Cut a Caper peachy toned lipstick, instead of wearing it on it's own as it just gives me a pearly sheen/natural finish.

See below swatches of the two shades:

Has anyone else used any of the other colours in the range, if so I would love to know what you thought of them?

Don't forget you can find us on twitter & Instagram

Until next time take care!

xxxx

Holiday in Marrakech

Salam Ladies,

I was debating whether or not I should put up a holiday post and some of you commented saying you would like to see one so I thought why not.

The one thing I often find when going on holiday to new places is things to do there. Yes you always have 100 websites that come up with what to do and what not to do, but peoples personal experiences are definitely more valuable. For example tripadvisor we all use that before booking a hotel don't we?

For my husband's Birthday I booked a getaway to Morroco, Marrakech for 6 nights, we wanted it to be a relaxing break as well as visiting the touristy spots. We opted to stay in one of the Riad’s very close to the main square. 

      Jemaa el-Fnaa, This is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter. It remains the main square of Marrakesh, used by locals and tourists. It is open during the day with everything from, spices, fresh orange juice, dried fruits, Leather goods, to souvenirs, and 100’s of cafes and restaurants by night. Staying in the Riad amongst the locals, gave us a real feel for life in Morocco. And we were lucky enough to be on the receiving end of great Moroccan hospitality. 

  

      This is during the day, it is a lot more lively during the night.

We arrived on the Saturday and spent the Sunday visiting the Bahia Palace, this is one of two famous palaces in Marrakech. The palace has a lot of beautiful Islamic artwork, and character, tickets can be purchased on the day and if I remember correctly they were less than £5 for both my husband and I. The palace was walking distance from our Riad, and most places are very easy to get to by walk, the local people go out of their way to help you.

The one thing about Marrakech which really surprised me was the amount of oranges this place has, that are hanging in the streets, and no one picks them, beautiful view Alhumdulilah.

Another one of the places of interests is the Badi Palace, this was my favourite of the two it is all outdoor, and very much an open space, it was nice and peaceful and just a stone throw away from the busy streets of Marrakech.  Again it was surrounded by orange tree’s which is something you see pretty much in every street in Morroco. The price was around £2 per person, it was very peaceful here and we had some amazing pictures taken.

One of the other popular touristy places was the Jardin Majorelle this is a famous garden known for its royal blue painted walls, and spectacular plants, ponds, and a variety of colourful fish. And the sounds of the birds makes it a very calm and peaceful place to visit. It is a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, they have benches, a variety of shops, including a café, and we just enjoyed being amongst the birds, fish and the pretty environment in the nice and hot weather. The entrance fee was quite expensive compared to the other places to visit at £10 per person, but it depends if it’s your kind of thing we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We decided to do one excursion throughout our trip, and the one we went for was the trip to the mountains to Ourika Valley, this was great value for money at £33 per person, it included a pick-up, downside was we had a bus full of people and had to go round picking everyone up, but when we finally got on the road we had a lot of very picturesque views. 

The first stop off was at a plant factory where, they would grow plants such as Aloe Vera, ginger, Pure argon oil. They had ladies sat there grinding the argon seeds into oil, and we were able to see this, we also got a tour of the garden and saw all the different plants, and then went up to the shop where they were selling lots of natural beauty products. And we were able to test some of their sample teas to help digest food naturally. It was a great experience, really enjoyed this. 

The next stop was to a Berber village house, we actually visited a house where a family lived, they invited us in showed us how they live and cook and, we were able to see their traditional Berber village house, bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms, and one family member was having lunch as we arrived so we were able to see the wife/mother prepare this in the kitchen. We were very pleased to have visited this place and the tour guide was also very good. 

Next it was time for lunch we were offered a three course meal each for £20 between us, which was quite good. the restaurant was right by the valley as you can see in the picture.

After lunch we set off to climb the mountain and get to the top to see the waterfalls. I was not expecting this and had to make do in my converse trainers, I could have done with a bit more support but it was great just as well. We climbed all the way to the top, and saw some breathtaking views along the way, see below some of the pictures.

One last recommendation, if you happen to go to New Medina this is the best ice cream place ever!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post, please leave your comments, and hopefully i will post about my up and coming visit to Dubai also.

xx

  

eos Lip Balm | Review

Hello Ladies,

Today I wanted to do a quick review on the eos Lip balms, I have been using these products since September last year, in the Pomegranate & raspberry flavour, this is one of the best lip products I have purchased. These products are packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E. They also contains Shea Butter and Jojoba oil which keeps the lips moisturised as we as giving them a healthy, natural shiny finish.

The eos lip range is 95% organic and 100% natural both paraben and petrolatum free, most of the lip products I use are colour based so it is good to have one which is natural both in colour and ingredients.

The shape of the packaging makes it so easy to apply with the round roll on shape, and application is a lot quicker then using a stick based product.

I purchased mine from ebay priced at £5.99 with free delivery, but there are many websites that sell the eos products which also come in a roll up stick form as well. (just type eos in google).

Has anyone else used any of the eos range? Please leave your comments below, I would love to know your thoughts.

The next blog post will be the Marrakech post so do log back on tomorrow for that, also check out bloglovin for automatic updates from my blog here is the link Click here.

Enjoy the rest of the week Ladies!

xxx 

The Body Shop | Haul

Hello Ladies,

It has been a while, hope you’re all doing well. 

So last week I was out for dinner with some friends and I arrived early, so I thought I would take a stroll through Whiteleys as I was in Bayswater for dinner. I picked up a few bits from The Body Shop, for those of you who are signed up to their newsletter they have a special offer on which I took advantage of, I got £10 off a £25 spend so I only spent £16.00 in total.

I needed a new face mask, I normally tend to use the Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask by Glamglow, as well as the Honey & Oat 3 in 1 Scrub Mask by the Body shop. That gives me a mud mask as well as a scrub exfoliating mask when in need of a detox.

I wanted to try something different so I went for a scrub mask, The Blue Corn 3 in one deep cleansing scrub mask, this is also one of their best sellers priced at £10. This comes in 100ml and is a good size for travelling. I picked this because the three in one is a time saver for me especially when travelling (this was a purchase for an up and coming holiday). I have purchased various different make up & skin care products to take on holiday, leave a comment if you would like to know more about these products.

The Blue corn mask is for Normal to Oily skin, and I generally find when I am using products that remove excess oil from my skin this leaves me with very fresh feeling skin not dry and not oily. 

Has anyone used this?

The next product I purchased was the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil, this comes in 28ml small bottle with a pump lid, and is priced at £12.00. This was an impulse buy, it is a serum which helps replenish and recharge skin with moisture when applied before bed. It contains wheatgerm oil, so far I have only used it once, and I like the fact that it is non-greasy as that’s the thing I would want when going to bed is greasy skin all over my clean bed sheets.

The last thing I went for to make up my £25.00, which actually went up to £26 as there are very few products conveniently at the body shop for less than £2. I went for a facial brush with a lid which was priced at £4.00. this has been specially shaped to follow the facial contours, and would be very useful when you want to deep clean, exfoliate and cleanse in a rush.

I will let you know how I am getting on with these products in a later review, please leave me a comment if you have used any of these.

P.S The Marrakesh blog post is coming soon…..

Rimmel | Scandal Eyes Kohl Kajal Review

Hello Ladies,

I hope you well, I haven’t blogged in a while as I was away last week, my husband and I went to Marrakech for the week Alhumdulilah we had a great relaxing time. I was debating doing a blog post about my time there but I am not sure if it's something people will be interested in? Please leave a comment below.

Today I wanted to share an amazing product I have been using for about 8 months now, The Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal. I recently took advantage of a boots 3 for 2 offer and picked up another three to add to my collection.

Believe me when I say I have tried many, many different eye liners for the waterline, From Mac Engrave, Smolder, Elizabeth Arden, Urban Decay, Maybelline, and Gosh, nothing will stay in my water line. 

I had heard from various bloggers and you-tubers about how good the Rimmel Scandal eyes pencils were, I was reluctant at first, having given up on finding one that wouldn't budge from my waterline however  I thought I would give it a go, and to my surprise I was amazed with the staying power. 

Admittedly whenever applying anything in my waterline I normally dab over the pencil with a black shadow and a Mac 266 angled brush, as this enhances the staying power. The pencil is also non-smudge and actually is waterproof, yes it does what it says on the tin. BONUS!

I was only interested in the black one for my first purchase, but when I went back for more I realised they have a whole range of colours ranging from: Black, Taupe, Nude, Silver, Bronze, Purple and Blue. I picked up another black as well as a bronze and my new favourite which is the nude.

These pencils have a very soft and creamy texture which makes it very smooth to apply. I tend to use the Nude one the most these days, in my waterline for an instant brightening look, this helps conceal tired eyes by brightening the whole eye area, great for when you have had a late night. See below swatches of all three:

Have you used any of these Kohl Kajal pencils? Please leave a comment it’s always good to know other people’s opinions.

REVIEW | MAC Strobe Cream

I purchased the MAC Strobe cream last year in August and it has now become one of my favourite moisturisers. It was an impulse buy, normally I like to read reviews and feedback for makeup products before buying them, but I was going away and I had forgotten to pack my moisturiser after using it, bit of a lame excuse to go duty free shopping, but we’ve all done that at some point or the other right?

I don’t use it on a daily basis as I suffer from dry skin during the winter months, to help with that I use Cetraben Emollient Cream which I have been using for the last five years, it is cheap, does the job and available at local pharmacies, it can be brought on prescription or over the counter. Let me know if you would like me to review this, and I shall do a blog post.

Back to the Strobe cream, I have been using if for about six months now, it is a great base for make up on a night out, it leaves me with a luminous glow, and flawless finish. I definitely notice the difference to my make up when using the strobe cream. I think it holds my make up a lot better, and gives me a better finish then a normal moisturiser.

Not only does this leave your skin looking fresh & bright, but it’s also packed with a whole lot of good stuff, I personally didn't know this before purchasing, but it makes me happier with my purchase knowing that it contains vitamins, green tea and antioxidants, it may have said it on the packaging, but as I was aboard I didn't take too much notice. 

It’s only just now when I visited the Mac website to see how much it was priced I came across this information.

The cream is white and has a pearly sheen because of the iridecent particles it contains, this can be seen below:

 I think I picked this up for about £18, it is available on the Mac website for £23.50.

As always would love any feedback or comments

Have a great weekend!