B.Liv Skincare *

A little while back I was very kindly sent some of the B.Liv skincare range to try out.
I absolutely love discovering new skincare products and seeing what they can do. I feel like skincare products are constantly evolving and progressing so it is exciting to come across something I have never had the chance to try before.
B.Liv specialise in skincare for young people in the hopes that good skin will raise their confidence and help them to believe in themselves!
I also find it very comforting to know that the products I have been sent have not been tested on animals - this is something I really try to stick to when buying beauty products.

I was sent the 'Spots Got Shot' blemish treatment serum. For someone like me, who is on a constant quest for clearer skin, this was a very exciting product to discover.
This treatment is designed to help calm skin irritations and sooth aggravated areas on the skin. It also soaks up excess sebum (dirt) to stop any further skin problems before they even happen.
I have really enjoyed this product and have genuinely found it to be one of the very few spot treatment products that actually do what they promise. I found that it reduces redness around any spots I had immediately and cleared up my spots within a day (or two for those deeper blemishes).
You really only need to apply a light amount and, happily, it doesn't dry out the skin as some spot treatments seem to do.
This retails at $25 for 15ml, so it is a little more costly than something I'd usually go for. But, now that I know how effective and quick working it is on my skin, I would be happy to spend this.

I also got to try out the 'Oil Leviate' oil control gel.
This mattifying gel is designed to prevent oily skin, while keeping it healthy and moisturised.
You just apply this after cleansing - no need to wash it off, and it keeps skin feeling soft and supple without being all shiny!
I was worried that this would make my skin feel dry and flaky but, somehow, it manages to stop oily skin without drying it out. Interestingly, it also helps to fade scars - so, if you have struggled with acne that has left some scarring on your skin then this is worth a try to fade them. Reviews on the B.Liv website certainly back this claim up, too.
I have really enjoyed this product. I don't have particularly oily skin but my chin does sometimes get a bit shiny and I certainly noticed after using this that it was perfectly balanced.It feels so light and makes my skin soft immediatley.
This product retails at $35.00 for 30ml

I was also sent 2x 'Sensetive Salvation' repair and rescue face mask and 2x 'Absolute Matte' face mask. Dan and I used these on Valentines day as a special treat and they were very different!

I tried out the 'Sensitive salvation' mask as my skin has been playing me up in this late stage of my pregnancy, so I thought it might help. The masks are Japanese silk sheets, which means you don't have to paint them on, you just put the sheet over your face and lie back.
This mask is designed to repair, soothe and aid in cell regeneration. I had to leave this on for 20-30 minutes, however for the first 5 minutes I found it a little uncomfortable as I didn't realise you are supposed to peel the thin silk sheet off of a plastic backing which it is stuck to, so I felt a little smothered. Once I had realised and peeled them apart the silk sheet moulded to my skin much better and felt so breathable,
It may seem like a silly mistake to make, but there was nothing on the packet instructing you to peel the layers apart so we just assumed that was how it was done!

Dan used the 'Absolute matte' mask as he suffers from an oily t-zone. This mask is designed to help control oil and hydrate the skin. It also claims to lift dirt and sebum out of the skin and contains ingredients like Zinc sulfate and willow bark extract. This mask is to be left on for 15 minutes and any remaining product is then to be massaged into the skin for full benefits!

Although I'm not sure that my mask did much to improve my skin, it was very relaxing and soothing and it was nice to have a refreshing product on my face which I could lie back and enjoy! Dan said his mask was very refreshing and I actually haven't heard him complaining about having an oily forehead for a couple of days now - so it must have done something good to his skin!
These masks are $2.50 each or you can buy a set of 10 for £22.00 - this means you will get a full course of the treatment!

The B.Liv products come with a 2 week money back guarantee, so you can be sure that they really work, and, even if you find that you're (somehow) not satisfied, you won't have lost out on anything,
You can see all of the B.Liv range here and you can find out more about them on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint

It's Manicure Monday!
A couple of weeks back Barry M announced a new collection across their social media and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it!
The Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints come in 9 gorgeous pastel shades which are perfect for spring, and will set you back a tiny £3.99 a piece (Superdrug are running a 2 for £7 offer right now - Just sayin').

I (eventually) settled on shades 'Lap of Honour' - an adorable dusty mauve polish, and 'Road Rage' - a perfect dusty mint polish with grey undertones - which I always seem to sway toward this time of year.
I love the design of these polish bottles. They are the classic 'Barry M' square shape, but the lid has a super cute chequerboard pattern, which I assume is to give the impression of a race track flag - but for some reason it gives me a retro vibe. Either way its cute and a definite winner!
Each polish has a Racing themed name too - so sweet!

The polishes in this collection come with a new flat shape brush, which means they fan out and give an easy application.
Obviously, the idea of these polishes are that they dry quickly, and I certainly agree that they do. You really do need 2 coats of each colour to make it opaque and streak free, but I still found that everything was fully dry and hardened in just 10 minutes!
The formula is fairly thick - but not so much that its all gloopy, it's just right to give it a shiny finish with speedy drying time.

You can see in my swatches above that 'Road Rage' is a really lovely spring shade. I love that it is bright but not too bold - it'll give even the plainest of outfits a spring overhaul and I think 'Lap of Honour' will do just the same - it will look particularly lovely on darker skin tones!
The swatches above each have 2 coats.

This collection launched in Superdrug on the 11th Feb and will launch in Boots on the 18th Feb, so you can pick them up now and get into the spring spirit!