Skin Chemists Snail Eye Serum

August 30, 2016March 21, 2018 | blueskygirlie

Those who know me know I love to try new beauty products. Part of my blog tagline is ‘here to prove you can be 40 and still look great’ but that takes work…and great beauty products!

I had heard quite a bit about certain ‘wonder products’ that had originally come from Korean beauty ideas so when Skin Chemists sent me their Advanced Snail Eye Serum* I was pretty excited!

“Snail?!?” I hear you say. Yes, this eye serum has snail secretions in it! Never one to back down from trying something that could make me look younger I dived straight in.

So firstly what does Skin Chemists say about this wonder product?

“Our Advanced Snail Serum works to actively lift, tighten and repair the skin for a younger, more flawless complexion. Snail Secretion, derived from the natural defensive liquid secreted by snails aims to delay premature ageing of the skin, whilst reducing visible age spots and providing protection from free radical damage. Osilift, a natural sugar from purified oat extracts, aims to instantly lift and tighten the skin to reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic Acid aims to rejuvenate the skin by boosting natural hyaluronic acid levels found within the layers of the skin, to plump and hydrate. Starflower Oil, rich in essential fatty acirds, provides lipid nutrients, which aim to effectively replenish skin tissues in order to slow the natural ageing process.”

Ok sounds interesting…so what did I think?

Firstly the product looks great. It is in an easy to use pump action bottle that delivers just the right amount of serum for use.

Secondly, it smells divine. It goes on easily and leaves no residue which is great as it means you can put make up over it if you use it in the morning (the instructions suggest morning and night applications for best results).

The instructions said to apply using your ring finger for a very light application but I just very gently applied it around my eyes using my index finger concentrating on the lower area (where those pesky bags/shadows are). As you can see from the photo below I have noticable shadows below my eyes without make-up.

And after about 2/3 weeks of use? Well the first thing I noticed was my under-eyes are looking brighter and plumper.

Its always hard to show differences in photos due to differences in light etc but I definitely can see a difference. The hollows of my eyes look less and the skin seems more luminous. I dont have a lot of lines on my face yet so can’t comment on if it helps fine lines but the few I have havent got any worse and I can imagine this product would keep it that way.

And finally – would I recommend?

Yes I would. This is a premium product with a price tag to match but it does make a noticable difference. I used it regularly morning and night and I have definitely used less concealer since. A little goes a long way and I am looking forward to trying more of Skin Chemists wonder products.

Find the full range of Skin Chemists products here.

*This was a gifted item. For my disclosure statement please see here.

InstaNatural Organic Beauty Range

September 8, 2015September 27, 2015 | blueskygirlie

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?

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.

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.

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.

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*

InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Serum

March 29, 2015September 27, 2015 | blueskygirlie

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?