InstaNatural Organic Beauty Range

I was recently asked by American organic skincare company InstaNatural if I wanted to become one of their beauty reviewers, championing organic and ethical beauty to look and feel great. At 42 I have become more focused on keeping my face and body from aging any faster than they needed to so I jumped at the chance to try out their products! InstaNatural say their products are great if you have sensitive skin as the entire product line is made without alcohols, parabens and sulfates that can be irritating to the skin and none of the products are tested on animals.  So, what did I think?

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
Facial skincare – 

Eye serum £15.97/30ml: This product smelt lovely (the grapefruit notes come through perfectly) and felt very fresh and invigorating to put on. It claims to reduce eye bags, crow’s feet, fine lines, sagging skin and puffiness. So, does this work? Over about 10 days use I definitely felt the puffiness underneath my eyes had reduced and will definitely be continuing to use it. My fine lines appear less too as does the darkness under my eyes. Its bright orange but don’t be put off be put off as this disappears immediately on patting it into your skin and a little goes a VERY long way. I found if I used too much a residue was left so quickly reduced the amount I put underneath my eyes (using the rather nifty glass pipette) and a nice product to use day and night.  Find my original review with before and after photos here.

Facial toner £17.95/120ml: The toner is really refreshing and has a lovely fresh smell thanks to grapefruit, geranium, lavender and lemon oils. It has a high content of Aloe Vera too so it’s also very hydrating to help replace lost moisture and perk up a tired complexion. So, does this work? I use a lot of beauty products but every so often one comes along I absolutely love and this is one of them! On the one hand it is a toning product that kept my skin feeling clean and clear – my pores have never looked better and my skin is glowing and feels great. But I also loved it as a general skin refresher/cooler and it works brilliantly stored in the fridge on hot days and I think would be great as a holiday product for poolside use. It feels so refreshing to use and the zesty smell awakens you in the morning.  But the thing I liked most about it was the spray bottle as I’d never come across a toner dispensed like this before but its so simple and so good it amazes me that all toners aren’t like this! I just love it!

Night cream £17.95: Firstly you get a lot of face cream for your money – 100mls worth which is brilliant and much bigger than most pots of face cream. Its supposed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyper pigmentation & uneven skin tone – all guaranteed! So, does this work? After using it my skin the next day felt nicely moisturised, refreshed and looked brighter. The product smelt lovely – the smell is quite calming and it was easy to use in a pump format with very little mess or wastage. Although it can be used day and night I only used it at night as it is quite a rich cream – again the rose like smell was a nice scent to go to sleep smelling! This cream definitely helped the general reddening which I experience on my face fade which was great and my pores seemed better too.


Body skincare – 

Scar gel £21.95/30ml: I used this on a newish scar on my arm which was bothering me. The scar being new (well 6 months ish old) was red and slightly raised. The bottle says it helps to diminish and erase scars over time by making them less visible in appearance and can be used for surgical scars, acne scars, burns or other dark spots. So, does this work? It can be a little sticky if you use too much but I’m definitely going to continue to use this and try it on some old stretch marks too. The product is easy to use in a small pump action container and a little goes a long way. Since using the product the redness of my scar has disappeared and it has took on more a look of pigmentation in my skin. It also has gone a lot flatter. I’m using twice a day so definitely think continued use will make the scar look even less obvious.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog Stretch mark cream £21.95/100ml: This is a fresh smelling cream in a large pot, with a lovely fresh smell. It smells so nice – ingredients include aloe vera, rosehip, mango and grape.  You can use it anywhere you have stretch marks and I mainly used it on my tummy, thighs and hips where I have marks from having my son and growth/weight gain/loss. It feel very nice to put on and I used it regularly. So, does this work? It does! My skin is definitely feels firmer and I can see the few red marks going ‘clear’ already! I was very surprised. Its very nourishing too which I think helps…I am raving about this one!  I found that my skin looked in much better condition and it felt like it was tighter.  Obviously you cant remove existing stretch marks but this has helped significantly and definitely fades them. A little goes a long way too so although its not cheap (but hey what decent beauty product is!) I would say its worth it.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog

Cellulite cream £21.95/100ml: This is a thick cream, with a very light flowery smell. I don’t have a lot of cellulite but definitely would like to improve the texture of the skin on my thighs/bottom. The main ingredients are caffeine, retinol and vitamin C and the cream is definitely highly moisturising and hydrating. A little goes a long way and it spread easily on to my skin from the pot and you can use it anywhere you have skin that needs firming. So, does this work? Well my skin is definitely feels more hydrated and the areas I wanted to treat feel less dimpled. My skin feels supple, smoother and pampered when I use it and I hope it will reduce the appearance of my dimples even more, although personally I think you’d need to add massage of some kind and exercise too.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog

Look out for further reviews as I discover more of the range. The range is sold exclusively in the UK via Amazon.co.uk – find the full range here.  All prices correct on Amazon at time of posting.

All products – InstaNatural via Amazon*

Bio Clinica Plus

A few weeks back the folks at Tower Health were kind enough to send me a jar of Medosan Bio Clinica Plus beauty treatment to try out and review.  As you know, my quest to look younger than my 42 years is a real one and a good moisturiser/anti aging product is key in that. 

 

So, what does the product info say –

Bio Clinica Plus is perfectly suited to the needs of your skin. Composed of a combination of valuable mineral extracts from pearls, silk and crystals along with clinically proven plant substances. An anti-age product that protects you from:

  • Dry skin
  •  lose of elasticity
  • the forming of wrinkles
  • age related redness
  • fatigued eyes

Bio Clinica anti-wrinkle cream contains valuable collagen, aloe vera, allantoines, bisabolol, soy and sesame oil, which can contribute to tightening and firming the skin.  Giving you skin the care that will bring out the full beauty of your face.

Sounds good!  But does it make a difference?

The first thing I liked about it is the extracts of pearls, silk and crystals within its formula.  The formula is white and creamy and definitely lifts and freshens your complexion when you put it on.  

Secondly it smells lovely, so much so my partner remarked I smelt nice…always a plus!

Its also in a nice container – sounds picky but I like my face creams to look nice as I often have them showing on my bathroom shelf.

So far, so good…

I chose to use it both morning and night, using a smaller amount in the day as a quick skin refresh and then a bigger amount on my face and neck before bed.  

It didnt leave any residue and felt great on my skin. After two weeks use I reviewed the difference in my skin: 

My skin looks more even in tone and the fine lines on my forehead have definitely lessened.

The lines around my mouth are not so pronounced and dont look as deep.   My neck also feels smoother.

    

Not a bad result for two weeks use!  I will continue to use it especially with the effect on my fine lines and look forward to continued results.

Priced at £9.95 for 50ml its a good price point and I reckon would last 4-6 weeks depending on how much you used.  Definitely one to have in the bathroom cabinet I think.  You can buy it here.

Bio Clinica Plus 50ml – c/o http://www.Tower-Health.co.uk *

❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️GIVEAWAY ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Would you like to win a pot for yourself? Follow my blog via WordPress or the email sign-up box and then leave me a comment below this blog (also open to existing followers – just leave your details with the word ‘existing’ next to it). I will pick one person at random to receive a pot of Bio Clinica Plus. Closing date Sunday 10th May. Good luck!

InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Serum

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to be sent InstaNatural’s new eye serum to try.  As a 42 year old mum with all the stresses and strains of normal life, anything that can help me look younger or slow down the aging process is of interest to me! Youth Express Eye Serum c/o InstaNatural*

So what does InstaNatural say about its product?

Wake Up Those Tired, Saggy, Puffy Eyes and Diminish Those Dark Circles with a Daily Dose of our Youth Express Eye Serum. Our Eye Serum contains a supercharged blend of antioxidants and other nourishing ingredients that help restore health & youth to the eye area.

So far so good… They say it reduces appearance of dark circles, puffiness & saggy eyes, diminishes the appearance of wrinkles & fine lines, hydrates the eye area to prevent premature aging and helps you achieve a more radiant, brighter complexion.  

The serum contains a blend of antioxidants and other ingredients including Vitamin C, Plant Stem Cells, Caffeine, Niacinamide (which inhibits hyperpigmentation) and Hyaluronic Acid (which moisturizes the skin to reduce skin problems that occur due to age).   It is also organic and cruelty-free.

My first impressions were that it smells lovely – very fresh and grapefruity, feels invigorating to put on and a little goes a very long way. At around £20.00 for a 30ml bottle, you use very small amounts at a time dispensed via a nifty glass pipette. 

The next thing I noticed was it was orange, very orange!  I neednt of worried though, as the colour disappears fast as you pat it on.  The instructions say you can use it morning and night and add make-up over it if required.  I found if I added concealer etc., it left a slight residue so I focused on using it nightly as I would any other serum. 

So, here are my eyes before – make-up free and in stark light (urrrghhh!!!).  I am smiling in the lower picture to show the lines under my eyes –  
 

And after – 

 

There is definitely a difference in the puffiness under my eyes and particularly when I smile. The lower picture looks pretty much the same as the one above it but I was definitely grinning! I don’t have a lot of lines as yet (thank you good genes!) but I think the fine ones I do have, have lessened too.  It is important to remember this is only with two or so weeks of use and I will definitely continue to use it and hopefully see even more improvement. 

So, would I recommend it?  Well on the results I’ve seen so far I would – its definitely making a difference to the look of my undereyes.  It feels nice to use and will last ages too so thats another plus.  I dont think I’d use it in the mornings myself but as part of my nightime skincare regime InstaNaturals has my vote! 

You can buy the serum (plus other products from the Instanaturals range) via Amazon here.  Are you a InstaNaturals fan?  What products from the range would you recommend? 

Poundland Make-Up Gallery

Its been in the press recently that discount giant Poundland has introduced its own make-up range the ‘Make-up Gallery’.  Vogue magazine gave some of the products good reviews and a few newspapers have too. I decided to pop to my local store and try and couple of bits out.  I love a bargain and I’m not particularly brand loyal so I’m ready to embrace a new discount beauty range. 

First of all there is A LOT to choose from.  Pretty much everything that you could want cosmetics wise is there…but for £1! Lipsticks, glosses, lip liners, nail varnishes, eye shadows, liquid liners, foundations and powders…there wasn’t anything that they’d missed.

I have to admit I was pretty impressed.  I decided to get a couple of nail varnishes and a couple of lipsticks for my first ‘go’ at the brand.  Being 40+ the foundation, cover-up and powders I didnt try…I’ll leave that to younger bloggers with younger skin!  I’ve seen mixed reviews on them and would be interested to learn any personal experiences with them – let me know.

So what does a fiver buy you?  Well in Poundland 5 items 😄!!!  I picked 2 lipsticks and 3 nail varnishes for my first £1 beauty experience.  You wouldnt even get a Rimmel lipstick for £5, let alone, say, a MAC one!

The packaging is nicely done – black, white and simple and there’s no way anyone would think they cost a pound each.  However, ultimately the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or in this case, wearing.

I picked a mid purple (10 – Purple Pop) and pinky coral (13 – Pink Pop) coloured lipstick. Both went on nicely and felt quite moisturising.  For a stronger outline, I think investing in a matching lip liner might be a good idea…something for next time.  The colours were strong but not too bright.  Staying power was OK – on first application I applied it twice, the second after blotting and it stayed put until I ate or drank later.  To be fair this product is not selling itself as ‘long lasting’ and for me it was on par with most other lipsticks I wear.

Heres the purple on –

And the coral –

The nail varnishes were available in so many various colours plus oils, fillers and top coats.  I picked a flat pale pink, a glitter filled red and an iridescent blue – three different finishes.  My nails are short and I’m rubbish at keeping nail varnish unchipped so these products had a big job ahead of them!

The nail varnish went on well and took two coats to get the desired level of colour.  The brush covered each nail very well.  Described as quick drying I’d say thats accurate.  Excusing my always short nails, the blue (31 Sapphire Blue) looked like this –

Staying power wise it took a while to totally harden up but them did quite well lasting a few days before needing a touch up on the nail tips.  As I said I am not good with nails – life just gets in the way.  But all in all quite impressive…and very impressive when you consider the price.

Here’s the pink (8 Pink Soda) on my toes – not bad eh?  Although its hard  to see in a photo, it looks very pretty in real life.  

And here is the dark pink glitter (36 Pink Diamond). This felt quite rough after two coats so I added a third coat of clear varnish.



Would I buy more from the range?  That would definitely be a yes – next on my shopping list is some lip liners, more nail varnish and one of the liquid eye liner. Go try it – I bet you’ll be very pleasantly surprised!