Category: beauty

ARRAN After The Rain Bath Salts

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Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own

Arran Sense of Scotland is based on the beautiful Isle of Arran, if you haven’t visited Arran, I recommend that you do – the island is beautiful and the breath-taking views from the summit of Goatfell are definitely worth the climb! Their skin care products and home fragrances are inspired by the unspoiled way of life on Arran and the intoxicating fragrances aim to help reconnect you with nature.

The latest addition to their iconic After the Rain collection is the After The Rain Bath Salts. A carefully crafted blend of natural sea salt and Epsom salts, they are fragranced with Lime, Rose and Sandalwood and are formulated to revitalise skin, relax the mind and aid restful sleep. As a perimenopausal woman I struggle a lot with sleep, often waking several times a night, so I was very interested to see if the salts could help.

I added a good handful of the salts to a hot running bath and the salts quickly dissolved, filling the whole bathroom with comforting scents of Lime, Rose and Sandalwood. The salts created a heavenly experience to unwind in, especially when teamed with candlelight and I was soon laying in a relaxed state feeling the warm water over my body. All my worries seemed to melt away and when I finally dragged myself out of the bath I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I even slept all night, waking up feeling energised and rested which was amazing.

If getting a good night’s sleep is top of your list of priorities, this product is definitely worth trying. Using the salts and following a simple sleep routine has worked wonders for me and has enabled me to enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep and soothed my aching body and tired mind.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching why not treat your loved one to a bottle of these amazing bath salts?

RRP £16

RapidLash and RapidBrow Serums

beauty, Fashion, Gifts for Her, health, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The world seems divided these days between those who have false eyelashes and micro-bladed brows, and the rest of us who persevere with mascara and eye brow pencil.  I am in the latter group, and only recently released that as I get older, my eyebrows especially need more help.

I didn’t want to go down the false eye ashes and cosmetic enhancement route (the cost being one reason) so when I was offered a try of the RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum and RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum, it seemed like a good idea. The research into both products seemed promising too;

  • 88% of testers* of the RapidLash Serum experienced improvement in the appearance of lashes and 86% experienced fuller looking lashes.
  • 93% of RapidBrow Serum testers* experienced improvement in the appearance of brows and 93% also experienced their brows being fuller looking.

*Consumer Study of 102 subjects over 56 days.

With this is mind, it was worth me having a try to see if it made a difference. The marketing suggest 8 weeks is all it takes for you to see an improvement, so with that in mind, I set about reading up what needed to be done.

For the RapidLash Serum, the supply only needs to be applied once a day, at night, to the upper lashes with the applicator along the base of the eye lashes. Eyelids need to be clear of make up and the serum shouldn’t be on the eyelid itself, just the base of the eyelashes themselves. For the RapidLash Serum, the formula is used twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Using the applicator, RapidBrow needs to be applied to the full length of the brow, and again should be completely clear of make-up. In each case, the serum needs to allow to dry.

Neither serum was difficult to apply, as they are both much like applying make-up or mascara anyway.  Once the serum dried, they were still soft enough to not notice that they had any kind of products in them, and it’s easy to sleep without them being rubbed off.

It’s difficult to show in photos but my eyelashes were stronger after about 3 weeks so I’m guessing that after 8 weeks they will be much stronger! This led to them being longer too. My brows were thicker and didn’t have the gaps between them as much as I used to have without the serum. Over time, I hope that they become thicker still and I won’t need any make-up for either eyelashes or eyebrows.

RapidLash and RapidBrow serums are a great addition to a make-up bag and beauty routine to improve the appearance of lashes and brows, without the cost of expensive cosmetic enhancements.

RapidLash available at Boots for £40: https://www.boots.com/rapidlash-eyelash-enhancing-serum—3ml-10103497

RapidBrow available at Boots for £37: https://www.boots.com/rapidbrow-eyebrow-enhancing-serum-10137216

ECO Professional Hair Styling Gel

beauty, Family Life, health, Women

Whether it’s a new hair style, a New Years’ Resolution for haircare or if you feel like a change, your hair styling is something very personal to you.  For 2023, I am trying more hair styles, colours and drying methods to see what suits me, so the Eco Professional Hair Styling Gel, made with olive oil was on my radar to try!

Olive oil has long been used as a beauty product, and the Eco Hair Styling Gel is made with 100% olive oil.  The oil acts as a way of keeping in the moisture and keeping hair soft, as well as working on the scalp to keep it hydrated. The effect of the olive oil overall is to keep hair slick and sheen and easily managed, especially as it’s so light weight.

The gel can be used on wet or dry hair, and hair of all lengths. Obviously if it’s used on wet hair it keeps in more of the moisture, and on dry hair you can style better. Both methods should give good hold.

I tried the Eco Hair Styling Gel on both wet and dry hair.  With my hair roughly dried but not long out of the shower, it was difficult to assume how much gel to use without it looking ‘crunchy’ so I used it sparingly at first, with the texture of the gel coating locks of hair. My hair is naturally curly so it was easier to work it through long strands. When it came to drying, I let my hair dry naturally and found that I should probably have used a bit more gel than I did so that the curls had more definition, but with trial and error, I managed to get an even, defined curl throughout.

When I used Eco Hair Styling Gel on dry hair, there was more of a ‘wet look’ and it made it easy to pull my hair back into a tight bun or pony tail.  My preference though, is to use the gel for defining curls, and anyone who has curly hair knows how difficult that is!

Available from Boots from £3.99: https://www.boots.com/eco-style-olive-oil-styling-gel-237ml-10261195?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc-_-PLAs_HeroCompare-_-Toiletries_Hair-_-UK_Smart_Shopping_Toiletries_Hair&gclid=CjwKCAiAk–dBhABEiwAchIwkR_MKSkfzxIYdAB2snpW3y8Iq4qX4rHnu3ZfMKRT7H5z_emU_zXw-BoCPRsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

New Years’ Resolution, New Hair style, new hair, hair styling, Hair gel, curly hair

#NewYearsResolution #NewHairStyle #NewHair #HairStyling #HairGel #CurlyHair 

The Contour Pro by Dr Levy

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Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own. The Review Studio are not responsible for any of the information provided below and no information should be taken as advice. Consult your doctor before using any new devices especially on the face. Do not use The Contour Pro on the chest/breasts, neck (including the thyroid), within the orbital rim of the eye (including eyelids), on the lips, genitals or groin area. Do not exceed the 3 minute maximum per day.

Every so often a new technology comes on the market to wind back the hands of time and help eradicate the signs of aging.  The Contour Pro by Dr Levy Switzerland is a multitasking technology that helps plump and firms skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines.

Who is Dr Levy?

Dr Philip Levy is a dermatologist who works out of Geneva, Switzerland with an aim of delaying the need for cosmetic surgery and instead uses techniques to reverse the signs of aging and restore glow.

He was the first person to introduce cosmetic botox to Geneva in 1995, and also practices other technologies such as CO2 laser resurfacing and hyaluronic acid injections. When skin stem cells were discovered in 2009, a whole new world of ‘healing’ the skin opened up for Dr Levy who harnessed the skin’s ability to heal itself.  Along with his other treatments, Dr Levy is best known for the Nefertiti Lift® which is used to tighten the jawline.

How does The Contour Pro work?

The Contour Pro is a non-evasive, hand held machine which is used to tone and plump the face.  Using Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS) and Radio Frequency (RF) in micro-pulsating sequences, it boosts deeper muscle strength and plumps the surface of skin. The radiofrequency stimulates collagen production and stem cell action, all of which help the appearance of skin.  The combination of the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask (more about that later!) and the heat generated from The Contour Pro, further boosts the skin to leave it illuminated. 

Why do I need the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask too?

It is highly recommended to use the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask with The Contour Pro for two reasons. Firstly, you MUST have a gliding gel on your face before using The Contour Pro. This is to ensure even texture, and it’s never a good idea to put an electrical appliance right onto the face, especially if you have never used such an instrument before.

The Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask has been specially designed to be used with The Contour Pro because the benefits of this mask compliment the technology used in The Contour Pro.  

What do I need to do to use The Contour Pro?

Before I explain in depth, be assured that there is a well-designed and thought out booklet that comes with The Contour Pro which explains even more and has diagrams to help!

Firstly, you need to clean your skin thoroughly to remove any make up and residue. Dr Levy recommends the 3DeepÔCell Renewal Micro-Resurfacing Cleanser. You can also apply the Eye Booster Concentrate over the eye contour area and the Booster Serum all over the face. Once the products have been on your face for one minute (in order to penetrate the skin), you can add the gliding gel.

Dr Levy Switzerlandâ’s Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask (a gel) is recommended as the gliding agent.  Distribute the gel all over the face and especially on the target areas. The device may stop working if you don’t have enough gel. Now you are ready to use The Contour Pro.

About The Contour Pro

The Contour Pro device is hand held, charged by a USB cord (only ever use the cord which is provided!) and easy to operate.  The head of The Contour Pro has 4 discs which administer the radio frequency and electrical pulses. There is one Universal Button on the front of the device which turns on and off, and changes the intensity. You can tell the intensity of The Contour Pro by the blades of the propeller on the front. 1 blade means the lowest intensity whilst 3 blades is the highest. Start with the lowest intensity first.

There are no other buttons to learn on The Contour Pro, making it easy to use!

Before you start…

Always undertake a patch test on the inside of your arm the day before using The Contour Pro. Check that the skin doesn’t have a negative reaction to either the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask or the device.

The full workouts are detailed in the enclosed booklet, which include the workout for eyes  (“Fox Eyes”),”Cheekbones contouring” and “Lips contouring.”  It is important to never use The Contour Pro on the eyes or eyelids, lips, breast and chest area or other sensitive areas especially not on the face. 

The booklet also states;

  • To use The Contour Pro slowly, in an upward motion, and with light pressure.
  • Always STOP if the skin becomes hot or red.
  • Do not stay more than 3 seconds on any general application area and continuously move the device.

What happens when you use The Contour Pro?

Once you have tried the patch test, you can start using The Contour Pro the next day. With the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask gel applied all over your face especially the target areas, follow the workouts detailed in the booklet. Start on the lowest intensity level.

When you turn on the device, there is no sound and no movement, which threw me at first. The intensity dial lights up but you only know it’s working once you apply it to your skin and feel the sensation.

I found that the electrical pulses, which are intermittent, were a bit of a strange sensation at first. They felt like sharp vibrations, and although they didn’t hurt, they took a while to get used to. It’s similar to holding the vibrating head of an electric toothbrush against your lips when you’re not used to it. I’m glad I took the advice and started on the lowest intensity!

Working for only 10 minutes maximum at a session with one session a day, work around the eye area (not the eyelid or the eye though!), cheekbone and lip area.  It’s best to do the workouts 2-3 times a week, not every day.

So, what was the outcome???

The Contour Pro is a sophisticated bit of kit which takes some getting used to.  It starts to work immediately with the device heating up and pulsating the skin, helping the products to seep into the deeper layers.  At first, you can see your skin reacting to the heat and stimulus with plumping of the skin surface.  After a few sessions (the course of a week if you are taking the advice and repeating every other day) the pulsations and electricity are more familiar and you will have learned the workouts to use.  I could feel that my skin was softer from the combination of the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask and The Contour Pro together, and it was as if the underlying muscle and tissue was ‘working’ which I took to be the muscles toning up and the skin repairing itself.  The contour of my jaw and cheekbones was smoother too, and my face felt like it had had a workout all of its own!

Over time, I’m sure the benefits will continue even if you don’t use The Contour Pro as often. I think once you get the desired effect and are used to the sensation it will be easier to increase the intensity and use it to maintain the benefits rather than having to use it so often. It’s difficult to show the physical changes in such a short amount of time, which is why I haven’t posted photos but I know that my skin and face has already started to feel different.

I especially like that The Contour Pro is an alternative to cosmetic surgery and non-intrusive.  You can adapt the intensity yourself and concentrate on one target area, or several, depending on your needs. It’s also very small and handy! I have used it for over a week now and the battery hasn’t run out yet.  I will be taking this on holiday with me soon, so that I can use it at my leisure and tone up those muscles even more!

The Contour Pro is available for £249 and the Freezing Anti-Fatigue Mask for £69 at: 

Dr Levy – https://www.drlevy.swiss/en/product/the-contour-pro

Cult Beauty –https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/dr.-levy-switzerland-the-contour-pro/13974127.html

Oclean X Pro Elite Smart Electric Toothbrush

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Disclaimer – We received this toothbrush for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Did you know that 90% of gum disease and cavities are caused by incorrect brushing? In fact only 1 in 10 people actually brush their teeth correctly (that’s pretty worrying isn’t it!).

Luckily the OCLEAN X Pro Elite is also one of the smartest brushes on the market with a fantastic battery life of up to 35 days and Qi Quick Charge technology enabling it to fully charge in just 3.5 hours!

The X Pro Elite certainly knows its stuff when it comes to oral hygiene and it can help you improve your brushing technique via the Oclean app! The app connects to the X Pro Elite via Bluetooth and gives you derailed analysis of your toothbrushing technique.

Using an ingenious AI algorithm, the X Pro Elite analyses the way you brush your teeth and recommends how you can improve your technique, using a dental model on its 0.96-inch touch screen display which enables you to develop good brushing habits with its 4 modes and 32 intensities for clean mode.

To ensure its users get the deepest clean possible, the X Pro Elite’s motor spins at the speed of sound, delivering a maximum of 42,000 rpm that helps you reach and defeat difficult plaque and stain build ups with ease.

OCLEAN’s new self-developed WhisperClean™ technology also means that the toothbrush emits just 45dB when operating at maximum power: a drastic decrease compared to it’s more pricey big name competitor’s (55-65 dB).

The Xpro Elite also benefits from a wall-mounted holder which was easy to attach to my bathroom wall and it helps to keep it dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.

The OCLEAN X Pro Elite is available to purchase online for RRP £74

More information can be found at: https://www.oclean.com/products/oclean-x-pro-elite

Silk’n Toothwave Electric Toothbrush

beauty, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Tech

Oral health is incredibly important and something that we need to take more seriously. I remember my parents telling me to look after my teeth as they will be the I my set I get and from that day I have cared for my pearly whites.

Over the years I’ve tried many electric toothbrushes but found them horribly abrasive or the vibrations far too strong. Tooth brushing should be a pleasant experience not one you dread.

As part of #worldsmileday I have been reviewing the Silk’n Toothwave electric toothbrush, the 1st toothbrush with patented DentalRF™ technology.

So far it’s been a great experience!

The Toothwave box contained the following…2 brush heads, 1 handle, 1 charging cable with USB cable & transparent bade, 1 USB wall adapter, 1 warranty booklet and 1 user manual.

From the moment I unwrapped the toothbrushe I knew I had something incredibly special as it’s stunning with its sleek white and silver colouring and a pop of lime green on the brush heads. It’s a very attractive toothbrush and significantly bigger and more robust than my usual electric toothbrush.

Charging took little time and the 3 intensity setting were easy to master. I used my Toothwave for 2 minutes morning and night and it didn’t feel like a chore.

The soft bristles were not harsh on my gums nor did it feel abrasive.Driven by innovation, the Silk’n ToothWave uses DentalRF™ technology.

This works by sending radiofrequency waves consisting of charged molecules, to the surface of each tooth, even reaching under the gumline. These molecules destabilise the strong bonds that connect impurity molecules to the tooth’s surface until they are detached and washed away. Impurity molecules get replaced by new, harmless water and toothpaste molecules, creating a strong protective layer.

After 6 weeks the Toothwave shows a significant reduction of tartar, stains, gum inflammation and bleeding compared to other electric toothbrushes.

This toothbrush is amazing and is a real treat to use. Gone are the days of my violent vibrating brushes and in their place is the beautiful Silk’n Toothwave.

Available to buy here https://www.boots.com/silkn-toothwave-electric-toothbrush-10280521

RRP £299