Visionnaire By Lancome`

With all of the hype surrounding the launch of Visionnaire I knew I had to give it a try and after one of my fab twitter friends Nichola Joss described this product as stunning, I hot footed it into Newcastle to one of the Lancome counters.

I have to admit the poor women who served me did get the short straw as I wanted to know how and why this product worked. I was given the sales pitch which was that it was a molecule which triggered multiple changes in the skin, but unfortunately we couldn't get any more detail than this. I wanted to know about this molecule, was the magical molecule LR2412 a delivery system which simply delivered the other listed ingredients to the skin in a different way or was it the magical ingredient that would change my skin. Lancome describe Visionnaire as a Skin Corrector, this is quite a claim and one I certainly needed to road test.

I couldn't wait to cleanse my skin, I felt I had to use my Lancome Baum Eclate another of my favourites, particularly during Autumn and Winter to ensure my skin stays hydrated and protected during the constant changes in weather. I then applied two to three small pumps of the Visionnaire to my skin, gently massaging it in to my face and neck which was a total pleasure due to the smell and feel of the products. I would say it was a cross between a gel and a cream in texture. I allowed this to totally melt into my skin and then applied a little moisturiser before heading off to bed.

As always I had that very excited Christmas morning feeling and jumped out of bed and faced the mirror (I am very often devastated at this point in my day). I have always believed that if a night cream / treatment / serum is good you should be able to see a difference in the morning - well 'hello difference'. I could visibly see a difference in my skin, please don't ask me to say exactly what it was (7am - oh please) but I knew it was different and in a good way.

It is recommended that Visionnaire be used at night, but I have to say I was so excited about the result I used just one pump around my eye and forehead (problem areas)before I applied my usual products and makeup.

Over the next few days I did get quite a few compliments from my clients about how fresh my skin looked and when asking what they wanted to achieve from their facials, they were saying that they wanted their skin to look even like mine. Now this is huge compliment for me as I am very self conscious about pigmentation on my face and this was clearly becoming not appearing as visible.

I have been using my Visionnaire for almost 4 weeks now and I have to say that my skin is looking more even in texture and feeling smoother. The tone and pigmentation is also much improved, so much so that over the last two weeks I have taken to wearing tinted moisturiser rather than a foundation as I don't actually want to cover my skin up (wow, get me!!) I have had a couple of little spots appear over the last few days, but I have to say that normally these could have dragged on for weeks before fully healing, but give me two days using the Visionnaire and they have practically gone. That alone is worth £57 from my purse.

Before I wrote my post on this, I still had to understand how this product worked - I knew it did but I needed to know why, so I asked those lovely girls behind the twitter @LancomeUK to help me out. The girls kindly provided the press release for me to devour and so here is my take on the magic that is Visionnaire.

After many years of researching how plants repaired themselves, 12yrs to be precise. Lancome discovered that when a plant is injured and is in need of repair it produces jasmonic acid which triggers a chain of reactions to aid repair and prevents future damage. Lancome wanted to recreate this reaction within the skin and have a single molecule prompting repair in the skin, basically it triggers a process so everything within the skin works harder to repair faster.

Retinol is an ingredient we are used to seeing in skin correcting products and can physically change the skin, but due to the potential irritation it can cause this is not seen in large amounts in products so change is slow. The LR2412 works in a very similar way to retinol but without the irritation.

Well it certainly has me sold, I am loving the visible changes I can see in my skin and the fact it just looks bouncier and thicker I think. Sometimes my skin would take on a slight paper thin look, particularly on my cheeks in the winter, but my skin here definitely feels fuller.

So its a huge thumbs up from me and this is one serum which I will continue to use. Thank you Lancome!!

Has anyone else tried Visionnaire? If so I would love to know what you think.

If you have any wonder products you think I should try, let me know and I will do what I can to give them a go.

Wendy xx

Rio Rosa Mosqueta - anti aging Day and Night cream

I am always on the look out for products that can double up and do more than one job so was delighted to be given the opportunity to try this anti aging day and night cream.

I am a great fan of rose oil and natural products so couldn't wait to try this new product for a few weeks.

The product claims to protect skin from harmful UVA rays during the day and then nourish, hydrate and renew at night. So a quick study of the ingredients list was as always, top of my list. The cream is packed with a whole range of ingredients which back up the claims and help moisturise, hydrate, protect and regenerate. It is certified organic by EcoControl and contains no parabens, paraffin or other synthetic ingredients.

The range of products are based on Rosa Mosqueta which is a wild rose found in the Chilean Andes. The Rosehip oil which is packed with vitamin C has great rejuvenating properties and I was delighted to see its inclusion very high up on the ingredients list, so we know there is more than just a hint of it in there. The cream also contains Red Algae as the UVA and UVB protector, this is one of the most powerful UV - absorbing substances in nature, so no need for any artificial, chemical sun protection here. This is backed up with a range of anti oxidants such as vitamin E and horsetail extract.

With the addition of macadamia nut oil, shea butter and aloe vera this product is definitely going to protect and reinforce the skins barrier and protect, particularly in the winter months and if that wasn't enough there is also some alpha hydroxy acids in there to gently exfoliate the skin to ensure no build up of old skin cells which will help to maintain a nice healthy glow.

So on with the product itself, anyone who has read my blog will know that i am not very keen on products that are in jars, I do use them, but if given the choice I would always choose a tube or pump action dispenser to maintain the integrity of the ingredients. (but that's just me)

The product itself felt very rich to the touch and as such I was a little apprehensive as I have a tendency to a bit of an oily T zone. I warmed the product up a little in my hands first with it feeling so rich and applied to my cleansed face, I felt as though I had to work the product in quite a bit and to be honest didn't love the feel of the product on initial application but loved the fresh natural aroma of it. However, a couple of minutes after application I was expecting a greasy feel to this product as the cream had felt so rich but my skin felt fine with no residue left on my skin at all.

I continued just applying the cream on its own after cleansing both morning and night and although I didn't particularly love the feeling of the cream on application, my skin was looking good, nicely hydrated and fine lines around my eyes looking quite good too (result). The product does recommend that for best results to use the Rio Rosa Mosqueta Oil first, but as I didn't have this to hand I decided to use a serum after cleansing and then use the cream, this definitely worked better and the cream went on and felt so much better on application.

Although I have typical combination skin, I didn't experience any shine through the day as I had expected and felt my skin looked pretty good after using this product.

The product is recommended for all skin types and I would say that this would work with the inclusion of the oil for anyone with a drier skin.

The product is priced at only £14.99 and as it is packed with a whole host of natural and organic ingredients and the fact you can use it both day and night I would definitely use this product and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a great moisturiser at a great price.

I will certainly be looking to try the oil in the future as I do feel the two products would work brilliantly together. (Christmas list I think)

If you would like more information on the products you can follow the team through twitter @RioRosaMosqueta or visit www.riorosa.co.uk

If you have tried this Day and Night Cream or the oil, I would love to hear what you think.

Wendy xx

My Skinesis Skincare Experience

Skinesis is branded as a High - Performance Luxury skin care brand and is the result of a number of years of research by Celebrity Facialist Sarah Chapman.

I was very excited to try something from Sarah's range and after asking Sarah via twitter to recommend a product from her range for me to try, I decided to purchase the Skinesis Ultimate Cleanse and the Intense Hydrating Booster. I searched the internet as I do for the best deal and decided to purchase from Beauty Expert as if I bought two Skinesis products I received the Eye recovery cream free (oh how I love a freebie). Order placed and a few days later my goodies arrived.

My first impression of the products was very stylish packaging, the products looked and felt high end if that makes sense. Whilst the cleanser was in a plastic container - practical so you can take it in shower and you will be using with wet hands. The booster and eyecream have very luxurious packaging and they all would look pretty amazing in anyone's bathroom.

Enough about the superficial stuff, what are the products like........ well I couldn't wait to try the cleanser that evening and boy was I not disappointed. This has to be the most relaxing aroma I have ever experienced in a product I could literally feel my shoulders drop with utter relaxation. An essential oil blend of camphor, neroli, chamomile, jasmine and rose are responsible. The cleanser is a balm to oil cleanser (my favourite )and feels amazing on your skin. One good pump of cleanser is enough for a generous covering of face and neck a good massage with this cleanser has to follow and to be honest due to smell and feel of the product, it really isn't difficult and rather than clock watching to make sure you have massaged for a minute or so - I found myself 5 minutes later thinking okay I should really look to wash this off now :-) I added warm water to the cleanser and massaged a little more until it was all milky and then I removed with a warm damp muslin cloth - bliss. I then rinsed my cloth in cold water and pressed onto my skin to finish. I seriously felt as if I had had a bit of a facial. The balm has a whole host of fab ingredients in, such as Omega-rich baobab and borage oils and mix this with vitamins A & E and Dermaxyl peptide for exfoliation,anti aging benefits and anti oxidant protection. My skin felt totally hydrated and so soft to touch - I didn't actually feel as if I needed to use any other products - but as my new hydrating booster was staring at me it would have been rude not to. The hydrating booster is dispensed via an effective dropper, the serum is quite runny without being watery and blends very easily and lightly over the skin and didn't leave my skin sticky, just fresh really. The blend of Hyaluronic acid, rosewater and glycerin work really well to keep the skin hydrated and give it a really healthy glow.

This only left my freebie eye recovery cream to try. Again this is a pump action dispenser and using a grain of rice size for each eye this was an easy to apply luxurious - without being too rich or heavy cream that again hydrated the skin around my eye - which can sometimes feel a little dry and show a few little lines (I can't believe I have said that out loud!!) So off to bed and see how it feels in the morning.

My skin looked and felt great in the morning, sometimes my skin can be a bit oily in the morning - but it didn't it just felt dewy - if your skin can feel rather than looking dewy. But I couldn't wait to cleanse again. I use the products in the same way morning and night and even treated a few of my clients to them to see how they enjoyed the experience and they loved it too.

Well I am on to my second cleanser (almost run out again) - this is a staple in my bathroom now and if my clients had anything to do with it - in my treatment room too.

It is at the higher end of the price scale being £40 for 100 mls - I am getting about 6 to 7 weeks from a cleanser - so I would say without sharing it you should get about 2 months of cleansing twice a day from it. It is definitely a case of you get what you pay for with this product.

The booster is more expensive being £59 for 30mls - i still have a little of this left so you are looking at about 4 to 5 months if you don't over indulge, as I tend to do. I am looking to try one of the other boosters, but will be repurchasing this as well.

Finally the eye cream being £39 for 15mls, I still have a bit of this left so this is lasting very well - and as I got it free with my other purchases - even better.

Trying these products in the Skinesis range has just left me wanting more.

Have you tried any of these products? would love to hear what you think.

Wendy xx

Daniel Sandler Watercolour blush limited edition 'POP'

After trying my first ever Daniel Sandler watercolour blush in Cherub a couple of weeks ago (which I love). When Daniel announced a limited edition blush was to be launched I knew I just had to have it and with £5 from every purchase going to Macmillan Cancer Fund - it was an absolute must.

I eagerly anticipated it becoming available at Escentual.com and quickly got my order in. As always with Escentual.com, super quick delivery and I was not disappointed with this new shade. 'Pop' is a perfect autumn / winter shade being a perfect blend of pink and peach as with the Cherub shade, along with the fabulous colour it is the way the product gives a subtle luminosity to the skin to give a radiant glow.

I tried the product on myself first (being 41) and then my daughter who is 18 and it looked amazing on us both. It is a perfect shade to lift the skin as our summer sun kissed skin begins to fade. Once the blush is applied you can be confident that it is there all day and night - its staying power is incredible, so no need to take it out in your handbag to reapply.

I find it better to apply with a brush and there is a watercolour brush created just for this purpose, I have applied with a foundation brush and also the mac 130 short duo brush and both work really well.

At least one watercolour blush is a must in anyones makeup kit - the Goddess shade which I think is only available from QVC is next on my hit list, if you have tried it let me know what you think.

Wendy xx

My First Ever Glossy Box

I have to admit I am a real girly girl and love all beauty products, especially those which come in nice packaging. So after hearing so much about Glossy Box, I just had to give it a go and so signed up to receive Septembers issue. The Glossy Box is priced at £10.00 plus £2.95 p & p.

I have to say I was so excited when it arrived a couple of days later, when I opened the outer postage packaging the box which I found inside was very net-a-porter in design and quality. This high quality packaging continued when I opened the box, with the nice tissue wrap etc - so far so good.

So what's inside:

A fab little card gives you more information about Glossy and details what all of the products are, the websites where you can purchase full size products and a discount code should you wish to make a purchase. Some of these voucher codes haven't got long to run as I didn't get my box until a couple of days ago - so a little longer on these dates would be good (please).

Down to the goodies inside, my box contained six products two of which were full sized. The HD palette I recieved has a retail price of £19.95, and the Neal Wolf Glow spray has a retail value of £11.95, so on a value for money basis - the Glossy Box certainly scores highly here.

I also received two 50g sachets (so generous size) of Dead Sea spa Magik Salt brushing, so I expect to get a good couple of treatments out of these. A fab mini pot of Moa green balm and a sample of Plum perfume by Mary Greenwell.

From reading what others received in their Glossy Boxes it seems that some of the products can vary throughout the month, so if you are signing up to get a particular product it may be worth trying to check that it is going to be included in your box - to avoid disappointment.

I haven't tried all of the produts yet but can say I am delighted with my Glossy Box and can't wait to see what is in my October box. The great thing about the subscription is that it can be cancelled at any time, so its worth giving it a go and if its not for you then simply stop your subscription.

Have you subscribed to Glossy Box? for further information visit www.GlossyBox.co.uk

Wendy xx

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush and Retexturising Primer

Firstly apologies for the lack of blogging over the last couple of months, with working in the business on a full time basis now, my wedding and honeymoon I just don't know where the last couple of months have gone. But I am back now with so many products to review, I have quite a backlog to get through.

I thought I would start off with a very recent purchase, so i have to say this one has certainly jumped the queue for a review!

I have been meaning to try Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush for quite some time and eventually got around to ordering it a couple of weeks ago. I was unsure as to which colour to order as they all looked so gorgeous, but as I am trying to watch the pennies I reluctantly only ordered one. I opted for the 'Cherub' shade as I thought this looked a natural fresh pinky blush. I did however decide to try the retexturising primer as well as I love primers and can resist trying a new one. I ordered my products from Very.co.uk and I have to say amazingly speedy delivery - arrived the following day - WOW and without having to pay a premium for super speed delivery either.

Knowing a little about the story behind the Daniel Sandler cosmetics line, as told by the man himself when I seen him recently at the Olympia Beauty Show (btw - he was totally brilliant and inspiring to a relatively new makeup artist like myself)I was extremely excited to give his products a try. As a busy working makeup artist Daniel found he was mixing different products together to get the perfect products for his clients for consitency,texture, staying power etc and set about making his own range.

After my normal cleansing routine, I applied a little hydrating serum and moisturiser and let this absorb into my face before I applied just a pea sized amount of retexturising primer, this was more than enough for an even application (just with my fingers) across my whole face. It applies like a dream, has that lovely velvety feel. The primer is packed with great ingredients as well, so is really just part of your skincare, it has SPF, vitamins A and E, some salicylic acid to help keep your pores clean - what more could you ask for.

The Cherub watercolour blush looked just the right side of a natural pink colour in the bottle so after applying a light daytime base of tinted moisturiser with a hint of foundation i set to applying the watercolour blush. After giving the bottle a really good shake as directed I applied one drop to a MAC 130 short duo fibre brush, I began lightly stippling the product on to the apple of my cheek as I wasn't entirely sure how it would apply and then gently blended it up my cheek bone. With a light handed application it gives the most lovely fresh gently flushed look, which I love. I needn't of worried about how it would apply as it goes on like a dream. To really stress test it, I set to work in my treatment room for a nice 10 hour shift. At the end, blush along with my other make up all still firmly in place - result for both primer and blush.

I have swatched the watercolour blush for you, apologies for the bad camera shot - this doesn't really do it justice and I think looks more peachy than pink - but hopefully will give you a feel for how gorgeous it is.

To try a different look with the watercolour blush, I wore heavier makeup than I would normally for through the day and built up the blush by applying it lightly as I had previously, but then simply reapplied it in the same way, this gave me a stronger look, but because of the consistency of this product, the finish it gives you and the glow it gives your skin are like nothing I have came across before and although a stronger look was achieved it blends fantastically I absolutely love it and intend to purchase the other colours including the new Limited Edition 'POP' that has just been produced over the next few weeks. At £12 for the watercolour blush and £22 for the primer, I definitely feel you are getting great value for money and a high quality product that I am delighted to use professionally and personally.

Daniel did say that there are plans for a Daniel Sandler makeup academy - hopefully this will be sooner rather than later. In the meantime, follow him on twitter @DANIELSANDLER for makeup tips and also take a look at his website that has some great masterclass videos.

Have you tried the Watercolour blush or primer, or any of the other products in the line? - I would love to hear what you think, particularly if you have tried the foundations as they are on my wishlist to try.

Wendy xx

Another before and after - Lash lift and Crybaby Semi Permanent Mascara

Just thought I would let you see this before and after of my last client of today. She has a good natural lash to work with, but we gave her a lash lift and then a coat of Crybaby semi permanent mascara.
The Semi Permanent mascara is really flexible and requires no maintenance, so a great alternative to lash extensions - both procedures take about 1hr 30 mins - but lasts for weeks without the need for any follow up treatments.

This client also has HD Brows, these were done a couple of weeks ago and are still looking good.

If you have any questions about either treatment, please just ask.

Love Wendy xx