SENSSE Beauty: A Review

Anti-Ageing Cleansing Brush

According to their website, SENSSE Beauty believe their products represent “inTRUEtive beauty,” which boasts the idea that “beauty is more than skin deep; it is about showing the beauty in your soul.”   The innovators at SENSSE Beauty have culminated a group of electrical products to help you achieve inner and outer beauty.  These products range from an interesting Hot and Cool Facial Bar to a much-needed (for me, anyway) Deep Pore Suction Cleanser.

A few months ago, I was approached by SENSSE Beauty; they offered me the opportunity to try out their Anti-Ageing Cleansing Brush in exchange for a review.  That being said, I would like to clarify that I was sent this electronic cleansing brush for free, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I have been an enthused fan of electronic cleansing brushes for over 2 years; however, I will not discuss my trusted brand as I want to focus on SENSEE Beauty in this review.

Matching Charger!

The first thing I noticed about the Anti-Ageing Cleansing Brush is how aesthetically pleasing it is! When I began to see this product circulating through the Blogosphere, I immediately thought “woah!”  It is hands-down the most beautiful piece of beauty equipment I have seen! As you can see from the photos, the cleansing brush (and packaging) is chic with hints of rose gold. The brush comes with a matching rose gold charging base which would look impressive on anyone’s vanity; the charger is USB-compatible and does not come with a mains adapter.

Once I got over the impressively sleek appearance, I studied the specifications.  The brush needs to charge for approximately 18 hours before use, so be sure to charge it as soon as you get it!  Even though that may seem like a long time, you can get up to 60 uses between charges (based on 1-minute usages).  It adhere’s to the “smart” technology theme, as it has 3 intensity levels and beeps every 20 seconds to remind you to change areas.  Those with sensitive skin need not worry, for the brush has a “gentle cleansing” mode and SENSSE Beauty claim that the brush head is sensitive enough for all skin types. The manual states that this cleansing brush utilizes 7200 oscillations per minute, and while this sounds promising, my trusted brand promises 15,000.  However, one must remember the price difference between the two (£30 difference based on an Amazon search).

Up-close of the Brush Head

Once my gorgeous cleansing brush was fully-charged, I was excited to finally try it out with my favorite facial cleanser: Murad’s Blemish Control Clarifying Cleanser.  I rinsed the brush head under the water (yes, it is shower-proof!) and it felt incredibly soft; next, I covered the head with my cleanser and began to wash my face. This is when I discovered my least favorite part of the brush: the handle.  I feel as though this may not be an issue for others, but since I have been using another brand’s cleansing brush for a few years, I am used to that handle and I much prefer it to this one. I felt awkward while trying to wash my face with this brush.  On the plus side, I felt this brush head was comparable to the more expensive brush head from my trusted brand.

On a whole, I was impressed with the quality of SENSSE Beauty’s Anti-Ageing Cleansing Brush, especially considering the hefty price difference between this brand and other electrical beauty brands.  If you’ve been wanting to try an electrical cleansing brush, I would definitely suggest starting out with this one from SENSSE Beauty; you can even purchase this brush from Amazon with peace of mind due to their 60 day money-back satisfaction guarantee and 2-year warranty!  The only downside is that they do not offer replacement brush heads at the moment; according to Amazon, the seller stated that if someone wanted replacement brushes, they need to contact them at websales@mplhome.com.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my review!  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Have you used a product like this before?  Have you tried this one from SENSEE Beauty?  Tell me about your experiences below!!  

 

Anatomicals UK Review

“We Only Want You For Your Body”

The arrival of Anatomicals in the United Kingdom has created quite a stir in the beauty industry, for their quirky and giggle-inducing branding have made Anatomicals products a must-try amongst beauty bloggers and consumers alike. Anatomicals utilizes minimalist packaging with in-your-face slogans, such as “silly twits ignore their mitts,” which certainly grabs attention.  Anatomicals products not only put a smile on our faces, they also put our minds at ease by ensuring consumers that their products are cruelty free and free of parabens.

In early May, Anatomicals were kind enough to send over some products of my choosing (shown above) to try and review. While these products were sent to me free of charge, all opinions expressed here are completely my own. I have been using these products for about 2 weeks now and would like to post my thoughts on this unique brand.

First, I will review the one product I don’t have a stand-alone shot of: the Off With Their (Black and White) Head Botanical Purifying Tea Tree face mask. Phew! What a mouth full, eh? The popularity of sheet masks has boomed, and anyone who has tried one can understand why! I am a fan, so when I saw this face mask I knew I had to try it, especially considering  I suffer from hormonal acne and the occasional T-zone spots due to my oily skin. I saved the mask for a special occasion; I used it the night before I went to see Iron Maiden in Cardiff.

Once I got out of the shower and dried off, I took a “before” shot then applied this mask to my face for 20 minutes, as directed. The first thing I noticed was how refreshing the fragrance was. If you’ve ever smelled tea tree oil, you will know what I’m talking about. The scent is quite invigorating; it reminded me of when I was 13 and using tea tree oil nightly to help with my acne. I am not sure if this was intended, but I experienced an incredible cooling sensation. This made my hormonal acne feel less hot and angry, which was a happy surprise as I did not expect any results in regards to my hormonal acne as very few products help.

After I took the mask off, I took an “after” shot and inspected my skin. I did not include these before and after pictures because I did not see much of a difference, although my skin felt thoroughly refreshed.  I did not see a big difference in my black heads, though I must admit I went for an extraction facial maybe 2 weeks prior to using this mask so luckily I don’t have too many at the moment! After inspection, I found that the few spots I have in my T-zone were less red and irritated. Now here comes the best part: when I woke the following morning, my skin was glowing, which I attribute to my skin soaking in the concoction overnight.

The second product I will review is The Buff Stuff Citrus Body Scrub (£4). I love the feeling of exfoliating, but limit it to every 2-3 days. I genuinely believe you can never own too many scrubs (especially ones without microbeads), so I was excited to see Anatomicals offer this product. I have been using this scrub on my arms, stomach, across my chest and up my neck; my partner has also scrubbed my back with The Buff Stuff once a week.

A biggie for me is fragrance! While some say to stay away from scented products, I have to admit that I love them because smell is such a big part of my personal experience whether I’m trying products, food, or going to new locations. So once I opened this scrub, I was instantly happy due to the aroma of pink grapefruit, which even lingered after I was out of the shower! The nights I use this product, I find I continue to catch a whiff of grapefruit, which puts a smile on my face. The next thing I noticed was the texture: a grainy liquid which easily pours from the bottle. With this product, you do not need to scrub hard. I have a heavy foot while driving and a heavy hand, so at first I actually hurt myself a little due to how hard I scrubbed. Once I eased up on myself, the scrub softly sloughed away dead skin cells leaving me with soft and touchable skin.

Another product you cannot ever have enough of is hand soap, especially a “bitchin bottle of soap” like this one from Anatomicals! I knew straight away that I wanted this Ain’t No Soap This Dope Watermelon and Cucumber hand wash (£3). I absolutely love cucumber/melon scents and it’s something practical that I can use daily. I genuinely struggled with where to put this soap; I wanted to keep it in the kitchen so I could show it off but I use the soap in the bathroom more, so I opted to keep it in the bathroom. Like The Buff Stuff, I’ve been using this product for roughly 2 weeks and the delicious scent lingers for a good while, which I absolutely love!

The final product I will be reviewing is the one I was most excited to try: We Never Forget a Face Memorably Good Daily Cleaning Pads (£8), with exfoliating glycolic acid. Recently I read an article about the cons to washing your face too many times a day; this article suggested I use cleansing pads with glycolic acid in lieu of washing my face. I later read that glycolic acid is amazing for people with acne troubles like myself because physical exfoliants can do more harm than good by causing more irritation. Therefore, a few months ago I went to Boots and purchased another brand’s cleansing pads. I use these pads every morning once I wake up as I prefer to shower and properly wash my face at night.

Back to Anatomicals: after using these “apads” for 2 weeks, I’ve found that these work as well as my regular brand of exfoliating cleansing pads. They leave my skin looking bright and awake, which is exactly what I need because I am not a morning person! The pads do not smell very nice, but that could be a good thing because unnatural fragrance ingredients can add many harmful chemicals which can be detrimental to your health. These daily cleansing pads also include Aloe Vera and Chamomile extract, which helps soothe irritations and Vitamin E to add some moisture to your skin.

I have thoroughly enjoyed trying Anatomicals; I hope you have enjoyed reading about these products! If you are interested in purchasing these purse-friendly and effective beauty products, check out ASOS. or Superdrug.

I have compiled a list of a few products I hope to try in the future:

• No More White Bits Instant Self Tan Mousse in Medium
• More Hula for your Moolah Hawaiian Coconut Body Butter
• We’ll Cool You Again Later Facial Spritz
• Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Wake Up Under Eye Patches

 

 

Colourpop: Worth the Hype and Hassle?

Recently, I’ve seen numerous bloggers tweeting about Colourpop Cosmetics.  If somehow you have not heard of Colourpop, let me enlighten you with a brief introduction: Colourpop Cosmetics is a company founded in 2014 by Laura and John Nelson.  The Nelsons manufacture their products in a factory known as Spatz Laboratories in Los Angeles, California; the name of this laboratory may sound familiar as it is the same factory where Kylie Cosmetics are made.  Many beauty bloggers have demonstrated that Colourpop products can be used as dupes for many of Kylie’s products.  While beauty bloggers have compared and contrasted products from Colourpop and Kylie Cosmetics, John Nelson stated in March 2016 that the products aren’t the same, as “everyone is coming up with their own formulas and their own exclusive products.”  

Topics of discussion on Twitter have ranged from quality and collaborations to whether or not these cosmetics are worth the hassle for those located outside of the United States. People living outside of the US must pay for international shipping (unless you can snag a free international shipping deal), import taxes, and a customs processing fee from the Royal Mail, which is always an extra 8 quid.  

Today I am going to show you the Colourpop products which I have accumulated and been using for a few months, as well as a new palette I received recently that I am dying to try!  I will review these products and write about their quality then give a final verdict on whether or not these cosmetics are worth the hassle of ordering from America.  Please note that all pictures have been taken with flash on.

I must give credit where it is due and Colourpop certainly deserves kudos for offering outstanding prices and deals.  In March 2017, Colourpop celebrated its third birthday and treated its customers to FREE international shipping; therefore, I had to take advantage!  Plus, they had a super-duper deal going where if you purchased two Super Shock eyeshadows, you got a free brush of your choice.  While this wasn’t my first Colourpop purchase, I must admit this was my favorite due to the absolute bargain I received.  All of the products shown above, I purchased for $30 or £23 pounds (I also paid £8 in import taxes and £8 in fees).  Technically, I purchased 7 products for £40 pounds, which means each product roughly cost £5.60.

I’d like to start with a product I wasn’t crazy about then later talk about my favorites.  I hate to admit that I was a tad disappointed with these Super Shock Shadows, Ignition (holographic, ultra-glitter lavender-middle swatch) and Bill (a light, dusty Matte mauve-final swatch). While Ignition has a gorgeous shimmer, I felt that these shadows did not live up to the hype of Super Shock pigmentation. However, both of these shadows have 5-star reviews on the Colourpop website, so perhaps I was simply expecting something different. I’ve worn these shadows to work and paired them with Marshmallow (grey lavender-first swatch), an Ultra Satin Lip. Grey has become one of my favorite colors, even for makeup, thanks to Halsey for MAC’s daring slate lipstick, so when I saw this lipstick I had to have it.  I am happy with the color and the formula; I did have to reapply halfway through the day but I am thankful the formula did not dry my lips out.  I never mind reapplying once or twice throughout the day.

Speaking of lipstick, let’s talk about the different types of lipstick products I’ve tried from Colourpop.  A few months ago I was given an Amazon gift card and with it, I made my first ever Colourpop purchases: a lippie pencil in Petit Four (blue grey-first swatch), an Ultra Satin Lip in Petit Four (second swatch), and an Ultra Matte Lip in Jellies (cobalt-third swatch).  I know what you’re thinking: more grey?!! Well yes, more grey…and no, I am not making a 50 Shades pun ha!  I have not worn the Petit Four lippies often because there aren’t many places I can pull it off, but I am thoroughly impressed with the staying power and the richness of the color. 

Jellies is a color I had been searching for; I absolutely love Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara in Blue as it makes my green eyes POP!  I wanted to find a pocket-friendly lippie which would compliment the cobalt-blue look and was dying to try this shade, which was now been discontinued.  While I love the color, I am not a huge fan of the formula as it bleeds. Before I put it on, I cover my lips with my trusty Esteé Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place lip pencil, color clear.  That way, I can make sure that I don’t look like I’ve just eaten a blue raspberry popscicle (or ice lolly for you Brits).  The final 2 swatches are both Lippie Stix in shades Wet (a pearlized taupe-fourth swatch) and Skimpy (a soft pink nude). Although I have not yet worn these for a full day, I can attest to the formula: it is incredibly creamy and glides on your lips so smoothly.  I am excited to try these for a longer period of time, though I must admit Skimpy is a little too Barbie-pink for me.  Oh, the pigmentation is excellent with these Lippie Stix as well.

My newest item from Colourpop is the Gemini by Night pressed powder shadow palette from their collaboration with Sonya Esman (a Russian beauty guru). Please excuse my hair arms; I did not realize how hairy they were until I took pictures for swatches.   I used Esteé Lauder’s Illuminating Perfecting Primer as a base.  

From left to right, here are the colors:  

~Golden Gate Bridge, a matte warm nude
~The Hidden Hills, a satin warm taupe
~Manhattan Coffee Run, a matte mid-tone      brown
~Moscow Sunrise, a metallic rosy copper      I have not yet used this palette as I received it on 23/05 but I’m super excited to try it out!  As you can see, there is a range of more muted colors to bolder        shades.  These are quite pigmented, too!  

To finish this post, I’d like to discuss the item I use the most: the Lo-Key pressed powder shadow palette, which features orange and red colors with shimmery finishes.  Monochromatic looks have been a hit this spring and this palette allows you to easily wear this trend.  

Using this palette, you can create a more subtle, suitable-for-work look or an exotic and enticing nighttime look.  Even when I go out at night, I tend to play it safe (as you can see haha) and not go too dark with that final redish color; I don’t like to overdo it.   Here’s a look I recently created with Lo-Key when I went to the Gin Festival in Swansea with some girlfriends.  

I felt like the orange/red colors really made my green eyes pop. I thought Benefit’s sunny golden pink Galifornia blush and Kylie’s metallic peach lipstick metal in Heir really pulled this look together.  

In terms of quality, I have to admit that this is one of my favorite eyeshadow formulas; I currently own quite a few Smashbox palettes, Avon, Pop Beauty, and Bare Minerals sets, and single shades from Lola Cosmetics, Stila, Bella Pierre, and Model Co to name a few.  

I wanted to include a swatches picture; I used Esteé Lauder’s Illuminating Perfecting Primer as a base.  Once again, please excuse my hair arms; I think I’m going to be saying that a lot on beauty posts!  The colors, from left to right are: 

~ Take it Slow, a metallic warm champagne

~ I Owe You, a matte mid-tone orange

~ Running Late, a matte creamy orange

~ Criss Cross, a matte brick orange

So, finally, I must answer the question: is Colourpop worth the hassle of international shipping, import taxes, and customs fees?  My vote is YES!  While I am not completely happy with all of my purchases, I am impressed with the majority and can see myself using these products as long as they will last me.  In my opinion, I see why Colourpop has a cult following, numerous celebrity collaborations, and a growing company.  We want more Colourpop and I believe we will get more, more, more as this company is not slowing down.  It feels every few days I see hints and ideas via their Instagram story!  

Now that you’ve listened to me, I’d love to hear your thoughts!  What products have you tried; did they work for you?  If you haven’t tried Colourpop Cosmetics, do you want to and what items are you interested in?  And even if you’ve had a rubbish experience with this brand, I’d still love to hear your thoughts!