Dopper Water Bottles for my GIVEAWAY / A mini shopping haul from my Christmas shopping trip on Wednesday / Homemade Tempura Vegetables with noodles and sweet chilli dip / Miggley and Mog in their cuddle pouch / New nail varnish from Asda, which I reviewed and swatched here / Kisses with Mog the Rat / Snibston Discovery Museum in Coalville, where my fiancé and I spent the day on Friday / My new leather look leggings with heeled Dr Martens / Dad’s new Crested Gecko, Ylno Tixe.  He’s lovely!

If you’d like to follow me on Instagram and see more of my photos, my username is bewitchery_.  Please comment on this post with your usernames too as I’m always looking for new accounts to follow, especially fashion and beauty ones!

Naomi x

Our Halloween pumpkin, carved by me / Mog the Rat having snuggles in my dressing gown / My dad’s baby bearded dragon, Russell, who in the last week has turned a lot more yellow! / Fireworks from the Abbey Park firework display on Saturday / My Butler & Wilson skull necklace / Sunday lunch at The Hunting Lodge – Stilton, Mushroom and Broccoli pasta bake with chips and veggies / AMAZING Rich Chocolate and Peanut Stack / Sunday rainbow / Miggley the Rat sitting in my slipper boot

If you’d like to follow me on Instagram and see more of my photos, my username is bewitchery_.  Please comment on this post with your usernames too as I’m looking for more accounts to follow!

Naomi x

MyChelle’s products are organised into five steps which, when combined, create the perfect skin care routine – you just have to pick the right products for your skin type!  Step 1 is cleansers, Step 2 masks, peels and scrubs, Step 3 serums, Step 4 mists, and finally, Step 5 creams.  The three products I received, and have now been using for a while, are their Fruit Enzyme Cleanser* from Step 1, Pumpkin Renew Cream* from Step 5, and Fabulous Eye Cream*, also from Step 5.  I haven’t tried any products from Step 2, 3 or 4 so cannot comment on how well the routine works as a whole, so I will share my experience of each product individually.

Fruit Enzyme Cleanser – 61ml – £8.50

MyChelle say: Gentle deep cleanser uncovers remarkably fresh, smooth skin. A special blend of natural multi-fruit Alpha-Hydroxy Acids unclog and purify pores, and increase cellular turnover for a more youthfully refined look. Strengthening and antioxidant Turmeric keeps skin calm and eases signs of irritation, while Fructooligosaccharides from sugar promote and protect skin’s health.

I say: The Fruit Enzyme Cleanser comes in a squeezy bottle with a mess-free click lid, which makes it really easy to control how much of the cleanser you use, meaning there’s no waste.  MyChelle recommend using a dime-size amount to cover the whole face, which in English money is about the same size as a five pence coin.  In my experience that is enough for a good cleanse, so even this 61ml bottle will last a good while.

The cleanser contains a mixture of natural oils and plant extracts, but the one that dominates is orange, so it has a gorgeous sweet orange scent, which happens to be one of my favourite toiletry scents.  It also has a light gel consistency which massages in like a dream, and doesn’t feel greasy at all.  The gel washes off easily with warm water and leaves the skin feeling soft, fresh and incredibly clean, without that tightness you sometimes get from facial cleansers.  I’ve noticed my face has looked a lot clearer since I started using this cleanser and I’ve had far fewer breakouts which is brilliant.

Pumpkin Renew Cream – 35ml – £21.00

MyChelle say: A lightweight, hydrating formula blends antioxidant-rich Pumpkin Seed Oil with reparative Peptides to protect cellular health and maintain hydration. Astaxanthin, from Micro-Algae, neutralizes free radicals while reducing moisture loss. EGF Peptides promote cellular renewal and collagen production. Shea Butter and Vitamin E replenish skin’s lipid barrier to prevent dehydration.

I say: MyChelle’s Pumpkin Renew Cream is not orange in colour as you’d expect, but a pale minty green.  It smells absolutely beautiful – fresh, but with a sweet and spicy note of nutmeg which really stands out.  The formula is light, and in the pot looks a little bit oily which, I’ll admit, worried me slightly at first, but I was relieved to find that it doesn’t leave behind any greasiness on the skin.  Rather, it is absorbed nicely and is incredibly moisturising and softening, and also has a calming, soothing effect on tired or angry skin.

MyChelle’s Pumpkin Renew Cream is suitable for all skin types, including combination skin like mine, and can be used as a day or night cream, so it’s a great little all-rounder.  I’ve been using my pot in the morning as a base for my make up, and it hydrates dry patches and evens out oily patches for a perfect finish.

Fabulous Eye Cream – 15ml – £19.00

MyChelle say: Advanced formula nourishes the delicate eye area while minimizing the look of fine lines. Revolutionary Edelweiss Plant Stem Cells inhibit collagen breakdown and are clinically proven to reduce wrinkle depth by 15% after only twenty days of use. Hyaluronic acid binds moisture within the skin, smoothing and firming the eye area.

I say: Once again, MyChelle’s packaging prevails with this cream and the easy squeeze tube and narrow nozzle make it really easy to control how much cream you use, and you really only need a little bit of this to cover the whole eye area.  The cream itself, like the Pumpkin Renew Cream, is non-greasy and easily absorbed, and gentle enough for the eye area, causing no irritation.  The Fabulous Eye Cream smells different to the other two products (I love how they all have a different scent!), with a delicately sweet, almost floral aroma with hints of coconut, lavender and orange.

Being only 23, I don’t yet have many wrinkles around my eyes, but I’ve been using this almost as a preventative, and it’s doing a great job so far.  After application my eye area feels smooth and firm, without being uncomfortable, and it’s definitely been helping to reduce my morning eye puffiness!

Overall, I’d definitely recommend MyChelle’s products and I’d love to fill the gaps in my routine with more of their offerings.  My skin is really quite sensitive and I often have allergic to reactions to facial cleansers and moisturisers, but I haven’t had any such reaction to MyChelle.  Definitely something to remember if you too suffer from sensitive skin!

You can view MyChelle’s full range here.

My parcel from MyChelle also contained two packets of Pur chewing gum, and since I am a gum addict it was a nice little surprise to receive these.  The gum comes in two flavours – Peppermint and Wintergreen, and is aspartame and sugar-free, so it contains no nasties.  It’s also suitable for vegans, diabetics and those who are gluten and lactose intolerant, so it’s a really inclusive product.  The gum itself has a nice, powerful flavour and tastes and chews just like any other gum, so it doesn’t suffer in that respect, but the flavour doesn’t last as long as I’d like.  Still, for a natural product that pretty much anyone can have, it’s impressive.

Naomi x

*These products were sent to me by MyChelle Dermaceuticals for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

biOrganics was founded in 1991 as the first professional organic hair care brand in Europe.  The brand claims that their products give salon results, and everything is made from natural and organic ingredients wherever possible, so they’re free from nasty parabens and synthetic chemicals.  As mentioned earlier, biOrganics are BUAV approved, meaning they do not test on animals under any circumstance, and are also endorsed by the Vegetarian Society.

The sample I received is a 12ml bottle of biOrganics’ Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil.  The oil itself is colourless and has a base of organic Argan Oil and Ylang Ylang, and can be used to smoothe frizz, add shine, and protect hair from heat.  It is also said to strengthen and repair dry and brittle hair, and reduces blow-drying time.

My experiences with the oil so far have been mixed, but mostly good.  The bottle says to ‘dispense 1-3 pumps into palms, rub hands together & apply directly to clean, towel-dried hair’, which is where I initially went wrong.  Unfortunately, the sample bottle does not come with a pump spray, so I had to guess how much to use.  I ended up applying a coin-sized amount to my hair (to the ends and mid-lengths as suggested), but after blow-drying my hair looked and felt greasy, and I had to wash the oil out again.  It turns out I used too much oil for the length of my hair, but after being given some advice by the lovely folks at biOrganics I tried again with a smaller amount of oil (about a little fingernail amount), and it worked a LOT better.  This time my hair did dry quickly, looked and felt incredibly soft, straightened easily and, most importantly, stayed straight all day!  I usually end up with slightly frizzy locks a few hours after straightening, but biOrganics hair perfecting oil solves this problem.  The lesson here is definitely LESS IS MORE!

I’ve also used the oil on dry hair.  The bottle says to ‘Use sparingly on dry hair for extra smoothing prior to heat-straightening’, so I applied a very small amount to the dry ends of my hair.  The oil seemed to create a protective layer between my hair and the heat, so rather than breaking and looking dry after straightening, my hair looked smooth and sleek.

Overall, once you learn how much oil your hair needs, this is a very good product if you want straighter, sleeker hair that lasts.  The oil costs £3.99 for a sample bottle or £12.99 for a 50ml pump spray bottle, so it is very affordable, especially for a natural, cruelty free product, and I’d definitely recommend it.  biOrganics Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil is available online here, and they also sell a range of shampoos, conditioners, brushes and other hair care products.  Or, if you’d prefer to buy from a local store, you can also find your local stockist.

Naomi x

*This biOrganics Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil was sent to me on behalf of biOrganics for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and based on my own experience.*

INIKA is a certified organic brand with a focus on producing natural make up, all of which is Vegan, Halal and isn’t tested on animals.  All of their products are free from synthetic substances and nasty chemicals, and to go along with their ethical image, INIKA’s tubes, pots and brushes are made of recycled materials, and are also recyclable.

The bottle of foundation I received looked different to the one pictured on the INIKA website, but what struck me about the packaging is how classy and high-end it looks.  In my experience some ethical brands, particularly those with recycled packaging, tend to be lacking in the image department, but INIKA’s black, sleek packaging with its gold font looks (and feels) wonderful, and would give any luxe brand a run for its money.  Also, the bottle has a pump press top, which I prefer to a squeezy tube or pour bottle as it means you can easily control the amount of foundation you want from bottle (either with a half pump or full pump), and because the hole is small there is minimal mess.

Quite usefully, the INIKA website recommends different shades to suit specific skin tones, so I was able to choose the best one for me, which happens to be Cream.  According to INIKA, their Cream shade is for ‘light to medium skin tones and perfect for those with an ‘English Rose’ complexion’ – a description which suits my skin down the ground, and the foundation is indeed ‘perfect’ for me!

The foundation itself is very light in texture, almost like a moisturiser, meaning it allows the skin to breathe and doesn’t clog the pores, and it also has a slight cooling effect when it touches the skin.  I always apply this foundation with a brush, starting at the eyes and nose, working down to the chin, across the cheeks and finally across the forehead and neck.  In the past I have always struggled to apply foundation with a brush, but because this one isn’t too thick it blends extremely easily.

Before Blending

After Blending

Despite its light texture, INIKA’s liquid foundation has incredible pigmentation which makes for beautiful, flawless coverage which still looks natural.  As you can see, it evens out any redness or blotchiness on the skin, and due to the lack of harsh ingredients it covers breakouts without aggravating them.  The foundation balances the skin quite nicely too, adding moisture to avoid drying, but also without causing any unwanted oiliness.

The above image shows the coverage that INIKA’s liquid foundation gives (with a little bit of translucent powder applied over the top).  The only thing it doesn’t cover fully is the dark circles under my eyes, but that’s nothing a small amount of under eye concealer can’t fix.  To top it all off, this foundation lasts a very long time.  Whenever I wear it, my face looks as smooth and flawless after a day at work as it does in the morning.  It even looks great after a night at a bar or a gig, which is very impressive!

INIKA’s Certified Organic Liquid Foundation is available online in four shades, and costs £29.50 for 30g.  It may be a bit on the pricey side, but its top quality reflects the price and it is honestly one of the best foundations I have ever used.  I think I’d struggle to find another foundation to match it, let alone an organic, vegan, cruelty free one, and I will definitely be purchasing another bottle when I run out.

Naomi x

*This INIKA Certified Organic Liquid Foundation was sent to me by INIKA for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

Illamasqua nail varnish usually retails for £13.50, but Velocity cost me just £5 in the sale, which is obviously a massive saving.  I love Illamasqua for several reasons – they’re British, they’re cruelty-free, they challenge conventions, their packaging is chic and, importantly, their products are amazing quality, and this varnish is no different.

Velocity is a very beautiful shade with a bit of an edge, which oozes individuality and class.  Illamasqua’s website describes it as a dusky grey-purple which is spot on, and it looks fantastic no matter what level of light you’re in.  In natural light it looks the colour of vibrant purple heather, with a tinge of grey which stops it being overly bright, and indoors it has a deep plum look to it, which is equally as gorgeous.  The varnish also has a glossy finish which gives incredible, eye-catching shine.

The varnish itself has a lovely creamy consistency, which when paired with Illamasqua’s quality varnish brush allows for smooth, easy coverage.  It’s also very highly pigmented and gives full coverage with only one coat, but I applied two for a more intense look.  The varnish dries quickly too…  I was playing Balderdash with my family about ten minutes after painting my nails with Velocity, and I didn’t suffer any smudges or dents!

I’m also really impressed with how long this has lasted so far.  For some reason, I didn’t apply a top coat over the top, and after three days the varnish is still wearing well.  One nail on my left hand has chipped a bit, but the rest look almost as good as new!

Here is how Velocity looks on the nails, in natural light, after two coats…

I really can’t put into words how much I love this varnish!  The colour is stunning and you can really tell when using it that it’s a good quality product.  I would happily pay full-price for Illamasqua nail varnish, so I feel very lucky that I managed to get this little gem for only £5.  If you want to follow in my footsteps, it’s actually still available in the sale here, but be quick because I think the sale ends soon!

Which Illamasqua nail varnish shade is your favourite?

Naomi x

Like the Dead Sea Mud mask, the Glacial Clay Spa is a fabric mask, but this one is infused with ‘Real Clay, Arctic Cloudberry & Red Grape’.  The active ingredients are specially chosen for their cleansing and anti-oxidant properties and are all vegetarian and animal friendly (Montagne Jeunesse are approved by PETA, BUAV and the Vegetarian Society).

Out of all the masks I have used, this is the quickest and easiest to use, and probably the most effective.  It comes in one fabric piece, with eye, nose and mouth holes already cut out, so all you have to do is place it on your face, press it down and relax for 15 minutes.  Who knew effective skincare could be so effortless?!

Now, I know you all want to know what it looks like, so I have put my reputation on the line to show you just how silly it makes you look!

Gorgeous, right?  To be honest I find it pretty hilarious (not that it gives you much freedom of movement to laugh haha).  Anyway, onto the important stuff…

The glacial clay that forms the basis of the mask is fantastically cooling and makes your face feel instantly refreshed.  The coolness also tightens your skin and soothes any soreness or redness, which does wonders for your complexion.  My face didn’t feel irritated at all whilst wearing the mask, so I was able to completely relax and enjoy the beautiful scent of the mask (my mum says it smells like summer).  After 15 minutes, I removed the fabric and washed any excess clay from my skin with warm water, massaging in a circular motion as I did so.  I didn’t even need to use any moisturiser after wearing the mask as it didn’t cause any dryness.  Rather, it made my face look visibly rejuvenated.

I can’t recommend these fabric masks highly enough and I’ll definitely be purchasing some more.  If you want to try anything from Montagne Jeunesse’s Clay Spa skin care range, you can purchase individual masks for £1.49 each (BARGAIN) from the Montagne Jeunesse website, or they are now available in Boots.  They’ll also be in ASDA as of September.

Have you tried these masks yet?

Naomi x

*I was sent this Glacial Clay Spa Mask by Montagne Jeunesse for review purposes.  All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.  Some affiliate links have been used.

Like most of the Skin Heroes range, the Break-Out Mask comes in a sachet containing two different products.  Stage 1 is the green tinged ‘Cleansing Mud Mask’ (Left), and Stage 2 is the ‘Rapid Action Moisturiser’ (Right).

What hit me first about this mask when I tore open the sachet was the scent.  The Tea Tree and Willowherb smell gorgeously refreshing, almost minty, and are both present due to their calming and soothing properties – exactly what you want from a mask which is meant to reduce break-outs!

As the instructions suggest, I washed and cleansed my face before applying the mask.  Once again, I found the sachet contained too much mask for one application… I must have a freakishly tiny face!  Either that or Montagne Jeunesse are very generous.  The mask felt nice and creamy and smoothed on so easily, although I did get a bit messy with blobs of mask in my hair and all over my hands!  I left the mask on for 15 minutes, and took the opportunity to pose for some photos with one of my cats, Moth.

She doesn’t look amused does she? haha.  She approves of Montagne Jeunesse products really though, as they’re all vegetarian and animal friendly!  Approved by the Vegetarian Society, BUAV and PETA

The mask had a cooling effect on my skin and felt slightly tingly, but not uncomfortably so.  After 10 minutes, as it dried, it got quite stiff and started to crack.  I was worried it would be difficult to get off because of that, but as soon as I wet it it went creamy again.  Having said that, it did take a while to get off, but after some persistence with a wet flannel my face was left squeaky clean.

I was very pleased with the results after using this mask.  I’ve experienced redness, soreness and tightness after using other mud masks in the past, but other than a fresh, tingly feeling, my face looked and felt fine.  The Rapid Action Moisturiser was a lovely consistency too and settled the tingling down, leaving me with baby soft skin.

This is my favourite Skin Heroes product so far and I would definitely use it again.  If you’d like to try this mask, or any other Montagne Jeunesse skin care products, you can buy them on their website or in ASDA, for just £1.49 (RRP) per sachet.  Trust me – they’re well worth it for a little pampering session!

Naomi x

It’s a bit overdue but my second Montagne Jeunesse review is about their De-Clog Nose Strips, which are part of the new Skin Heroes range of skin care products.

Each sachet contains three individually wrapped nose strips which ‘contain natural citrus to draw out deep-rooted impurities for cleaner, less visible pores on and around the nose’, the natural citrus in question being ‘Pressed Orange Blossom’.  The sachet suggests that you use one strip no more than three times a week, so for £1.49 you get a weeks worth of strips which isn’t bad.

The instructions for use are very simple and easy to follow.  Basically, all you need to do is wet your nose (before you apply your make up or after you remove it, I’d say) and apply the smooth side of the strip to your nose.  Then, after 10-15 minutes, peel off the strip and you’re done!  The strip can get a bit stiff as it dries so I’d suggest wetting it before you peel it off so it doesn’t tug, and definitely don’t pull it hard or it’ll hurt!

I’ve used two of the three strips so far and I’ll be using the third over the weekend.  The first strip I used I left on for too long which was a big mistake as it started to feel really uncomfortable and when I took it off my nose was really itchy and sore.  I was a bit dubious about the strips after that but the second one I used gave much better results!  I left it on for just 10 minutes so it didn’t have a chance to completely dry out.  It peeled off easily and took quite a lot of dirt with it, which is brilliant because it shows they do exactly what they say on the tin!  I think the lesson is take notice of the packet – the product works if you follow the instructions properly

I like these nose strips.  I’ve used nose strips in the past which have made no difference whatsoever but these are already showing results – my pores are noticeably smaller already.  Also, Montagne Jeunesse products are all vegetarian friendly and not tested on animals which makes me a very happy bunny indeed.

If you fancy picking some of these up, you can get them from ASDA or Montagne Jeunesse’s website!  Will you be trying them?

Naomi x

The Dry Skin Mask comes in a sachet containing two products – 15g of Ultra Moisturising Mask (Left), and 3g of Rehydrating Skin Serum (Right).

The instructions for use are as follows…

Firstly, submerge skin in this creamy souffle and let the super fruits explode into action.

So this is what I did!  After removing my make up and washing my face, I applied the mask liberally to dry skin and left it to work its magic for a good 15-20 minutes, as the packaging suggests!  There was a generous amount of mask in the sachet for one application – I smothered it on and was still left with some excess.  The mask smells a bit like fruit yoghurt which is lovely, but I found it also had a slight whiff of something else, I’m not sure what, but it wasn’t too nice.  Luckily that subsided after a while!

As the mask dried it felt refreshingly cooling, and didn’t go tight and crumbly like a lot of masks do.  When it came to removing the mask, it came off easily with warm water and a flannel.  I patted my face dry with a clean towel and moved onto to step two, which helps you to…

   rehydrate with this follow on serum of crushed Blueberries and pulped Raspberries, an anti-oxidant frenzy.

Initially, I didn’t think the 3g of serum would be enough to moisturise my face with, but it is so rich it was almost too much!  It took a while to fully massage in but I got there eventually.  The skin on my face usually gets very dry and itchy when I use face masks, so I was worried that this would do the same despite its claims, but I was proved very wrong.  The combination of moisturising mask and hydrating serum left my skin feeling soft without feeling taught or greasy – just what you want from a mask!  These masks cost £1.49 each in ASDA or on the Skin Heroes website and are definitely worth it – the perfect Friday night treat!

Look out for my next Montagne Jeunesse review, coming soon!

Naomi x