#AD Epibrow Brow Design & Ultimate Lash Serums

July 24, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

I was recently sent two really interesting products from beauty experts Epibrow International to try. They are products that aim to make your brows and lashes fuller and thicker using some advanced professional beauty science rather than be a cosmetic fix.

So what were my brows and lashes like before?

Well the quick answer is, not good. My eyebrows are sparse due to over plucking (Thanks to Madonna’s Erotica look in the early ninenties mainly) and my eye-lashes are dark but short and dont really show unless I wear mascara, which I dont like to wear apart from on full make-up days. So basically anything that might help them I am interested in.

The products themselves – at £55 each these products arent cheap. So what do you get for your money?

Epibrow Brow Design Serum – what does the packing say?

THE ULTIMATE EYEBROW SERUM FROM THE EPIBROW EXPERTS – Get the beautiful, bold brows of your favourite supermodels with this eyebrow enhancing serum.

ADVANCED FORMULA – The fast-working formula contains ingredients such as iron and vitamin B, which are essential nutrients for hair growth.
NATURALLY THICKER & FULLER EYEBROWS – Key ingredients help speed up the natural growth process and give your brows a thicker, fuller shape.
EASY TO USE – For best results that can also make your brows look darker, use this advanced serum treatment once a day on clean, dry skin while massaging the area to boost blood circulation.
EXTENDS THE ANAGEN STAGE – Keeps the hair in its growing ‘anagen stage’ for a longer period of time, so you get full and maximum growth

Buy it here.

Epibrow Ultimate Lash – what does the packaging say?DREAM LASHES – Wake up to lashes of your dreams with this overnight treatment.

ADVANCED GROWTH INGREDIENTS – Formulated with essential minerals and polypeptides, this easy to use serum is applied along the base of the lash line (upper and/or lower lash line) before bed.
SIMPLE TO USE – Repeat every night for 4 weeks and over this time the nourishing formula gets to work, feeding the hair follicles and leaving you with thicker, fuller, longer and stronger lashes.
EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO EXTENSIONS – For long term results that offer a highly-effective alternative to extensions, wait 4 weeks between treatments then repeat.
EXTENDS THE ANAGEN STAGE – Keeps the hair in its growing ‘anagen stage’ for a longer period of time, so you get full and maximum growth.

Buy it here

Ok, sounds interesting! But does it work?

I used both serums regularly each evening for about a month. I found both easy to apply and neither irritated my skin or eyes. The brow serum has a very distinct and strong smell to it (a kind of menthol aroma) so I would suggest only using it once you’re sure your going to sleep as it is VERY noticable.

I first noticed my eyebrows thickening by the amount of make-up I was using. Instead of filling in my brows quite considerably with eyebrow pencil I was just having to add a few strokes. Small but noticeable new hairs had started to appear too and by week 3 I has having to neaten up my brows with tweezers.

(I obviously have make-up on in these 2 photos but I can still see a real difference)

My eyelashes looked longer and when I put mascara on, my bottom lashes in particular looked a lot longer. I also noticed less eyelashes ‘shed’ during the period I was using the serum.

At the end of a month using these products I can definitely confirm they make a difference. My lashes are thicker and particularly my lower lashes are longer. My brows have thickened up, some new hairs have grown and I am using a lot less eyebrow pencil on them.

These products are not cheap but used regularly definitely can make a real difference and a little goes a long way. I am definitely going to continue to use them and look forward to seeing continued results.

Ultimate Lash / £55*, Brow Design Serum / £55* – Epibrow International via Amazon

*I was gifted these products but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Missguided Bluewater grand opening

June 22, 2017July 4, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I attended the grand opening of the new Missguided store in Bluewater a few weeks back. I may be over 40 but the lure of a 25% blogger discount, free ice cream, a DJ and ‘mocktails’ made me brave Bluewater on a Saturday. The store itself is amazing – described as ‘Missguided in real life’ it is in the old Forever 21 site and I really wanted to share its look with you because it really is worth a visit…

The visual merchandising and displays of the store are fantastic with life-like mannequins of all different skin tones accessorised with crazy props such as this giant banana!

As ever with Missguided there is lots of positive affirmation for its ‘babes’ and cheeky slogans such as ‘Send Nudes’ or ‘Get Naked’ written in neon on the walls…

Love shoes? Youre going to be in heaven! The store houses a good accessory range – mainly shoes with a small section of bags and then stands of affordable jewellery and sunglasses near the tills.

There’s a great lingerie and nightwear range…

…and of course swimwear – it is the season!

And if all that shopping has exhausted you and you fancy a drink of water (or in this case ‘Mermaid Tears’) – they’ve got it covered! £1 a can…

Of course the real lure of this second Missguided store (the first is in Westfield Stratford) is that you can see and try on the usually online products in a traditional store environment. Theres tons of staff and a whole community vibe going on with lots of interaction.

And what did I buy with that discount? I bought a few bits but my favourite has to be this denim jacket… cute huh? I have had so many compliments about it.

Jacket £40 – available in regular and petite ranges Missguided

Find the full Missguided range here – or visit the store on the lower level of Rose Gallery in Bluewater.

Palm Power

June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 | blueskygirlie

As it is now summer (hoorah!) its time to embrace all those colours and prints you wouldn’t normally wear any other time of the year. There’s something about a tropical print that always feels really summery and I am quite the slave to the palm print in both fashion and home.

So when this little gem caught my eye in the TU clothing department in Sainburys for just £20 I thought it was a really wearable summer staple and snapped one up.

It is described as a jumpsuit but I would describe it more as a culotte dress. I’m 5’2″ and its length sits like a midi dress on me. It is a fitted shape with square neckline and short sleeves and zips up the back and for those who hate summer and the nightmare that is thigh rub this is the perfect solution! Overall the shape is very retro and flattering and the wide cullottes balance out the fitted top perfectly.

I co-ordinated my new buy with some amazing OTT palm leaf acrylic earrings I got from New Look many years ago because, well, I love a Palm! I always wear these earrings in the summer and they have been a great buy.The tie waist adds an extra flattering element meaning you can pull the waist in if you wanted a looser fit (I chose to wear mine quite fitted) and the fabric has some stretch to it as well as being a vibrant mix of greens, black and beige highlights. I feel really great wearing this, have so far worn it to the office and can’t wait to wear it on holiday too.

Its available in store now but will sell out fast so grab one while you can!

Culotte Jumpsuit / TU at Sainsburys
Sandals / Primark (past season)
Earrings / New Look (past season)

#AD Skin Chemists Rose Quartz range

June 8, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

Pink. You’ve gotta love it. And when I see a pink product my eyes go all 😍. A little while back I tried out Skin Chemists Rose Quartz facial oil (find the review here) and really liked it. When the team sent me four more products from the range for Rose Quartz month I couldnt wait to try them out.

So what is Rose Quartz? Used holistically for hundreds of years, Rose Quartz is revered for its healing and comforting properties. The stone of unconditional love, it aims to prevent impurities and dead skin cells settling on the skin, to reveal soft, fresh and youthful skin.

Todays blog is a review of the Hydrating & Illuminating Day Moisturiser, which for me is probably the easiest way to start using the range…

According to Skin Chemists, the Rose Quartz Hydrating & Illuminating day moisturiser is formulated with nourishing and hydrating actives, to smooth, illuminate and refine the skin while protecting against daily environmental damage.

A product to be used first thing in the morning as part of your skincare routine, I found it to be very easy to use, easily absorbed into the skin and with a really lovely fresh floral fragrance…it really does make you feel all rosy! As with all the Rose Quartz range it quickly made my skin feel very soft and smooth to the touch and definitely plumped and nourished the drier areas of my skin.

The main active ingredients in the formulation are:

1) Alpine Rose Stem Cells – to repair the skin after daily exposure to harsh environmental aggressors and boost skin regeneration,

2) Vitamin E – to work as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory to soothe and repair the skin,

3) Rose Otto Oil – to restore moisture balance in the skin. Its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties aim to repair and protect the skin, whilst firming and toning.

As ever with the Skin Chemists range I found the packaging visually appealing (its that love of pink thing again!) and the pump-action dispenser very efficient to use. The main things I liked about the product was its lovely fragrance as well the very soft feeling it gave my skin. Did it make my fine lines disappear? A little maybe, but it definitely gave me a lovely illuminated glow and really softened my skin and I think that is due to the formulas promise of removing dead skin cells and as a beauty product fan I’m happy with that.

Skin Chemists have been incredibly generous in giving readers of my blog the code SARAH1 for an amazing discount of over £50 off the RRP of £74.90 plus free shipping throughout June – at that price you can’t go wrong! Buy Rose Quartz Hydrating & Illuminating Day Moisturiser here.

I have also been testing the Age Defense Night Moisturiser, the Radiance Enhancing Eye Serum and the Youth Defence Lip Plump. Want to know what I thought?

Age Defence Night Moisturiser – this ultra-smooth moisturiser is designed to give the skin an extra boost while you sleep, resulting in a vibrant and healthy looking glow. My verdict: I found this a great feed for my face plus I found the scent very relaxing and helped me drift off to sleep.

Radiance Enhancing Eye Serum – this light serum is designed to visibly lift tired skin and brighten dark under eye circles. An irridescent pink formulation, light-reflective crystals work to illuminate the skin, boosting radiance and softening the appearance of blemishes and flaws. My verdict: I loved this sparkly serum and its light reflecting glow…

Youth Defence Lip Plump – bursting with active ingredients, the formula aims to plump and nourish lips, resulting in a more supple and hydrated appearance. It aims to visibly improve the shape, texture and volume of your lips. My verdict: after getting used to the minty cold feeling I liked this as an occasional use product to create a more pouty lip look.

Find the full Skin Chemist range here.

Remember if you want to try anything reviewed in this blog, use the code SARAH1 to purchase it for 60-70% off the RRP throughout June. Give it a go…what have you got to lose?

*I was gifted these products but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

#AD Skin Chemists Advanced Snail Duo Moisturiser

May 22, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

As you may know I am a Skin Chemists ambassador and I love to try their new (and always innovative) products. The first product I ever tried from their brand was their Advanced Snail Eye Serum (find the original blog here) and although initially I was a little squeamish about using a beauty product with snail secretions in it, I was really impressed with its effects.

This month I am trying another product from the snail range – Advanced Snail Duo Moisturiser.

Skin Chemists says Snail Duo Moisturiser is formulated using a range of regenerating and nourishing actives to help repair the skin from daily damage, whilst protecting against future environmental stress and leaving a mattified finish. The main active ingredients include:

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.

Tiare Flower Extract is combined with light and silky coconut oil, working to hydrate, repair, soothe and purify the skin.

Vitamin E Acetate aims to leave the skin moisturised, whilst providing further protection against skin damage from environmental aggressors.

Creatine works to imitate an amino acid found naturally within the skin, it aims to revitalise cell energy metabolism, whilst hydrating and protecting the skin.

It’s worth doing a patch test if youre concerned you might be allergic to any of these ingredients. I did notice a very slight tingling feeling when I first started using it and although I didn’t have any type of reaction, I feel if someone had more sensitive skin it might be worth it.

Also if youre a bit worried about the whole ‘how do you get this from a snail’ part (which is quite understandable) be assured Skin Chemists are a cruelty free company and only use sustainable methods to extract snail secretion at no harm to the snail. Afterwards the snail is returned healthy to its breeding place – yay!

This product is easy to use in its pump action dispenser and smooths over the skin effortlessly, leaving a slight tackiness that sets quickly – you can even put make-up on over the top too if you use it in the morning which is great. On first use, what I noticed most was how a small amount plumped my skin almost immediately with a slight tingling feeling and after a few weeks of use my skin feels firmer, fine lines seem less and my skins imperfections have been reduced without making my skin greasy.

Marble effect trays / H&M Home
Sunglasses / Depop
Sunglasses case /Primark
Earrings /Dorothy Perkins
Brooch / New Look
Eye Shadow / L’oreal

All in all this is another great product from Skin Chemists – I will be using the Duo Moisturiser with the Advanced Snail Eye Serum for a maximised effect and hope the reducing of my fine lines will continue! Oh and for anyone worrying it smells lovely too…

Buy Advanced Snail Duo Moisturiser here.

Truly innovative products are rarely cheap, with this product retailing at £99.90, but Skin Chemists have been incredibly generous in giving readers of my blog the code SARAH1 for a whopping 80% off (making it just £19.99) throughout May. Give it a go…what have you got to lose?

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

The thing I fell in love with this week

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 | blueskygirlie

H&M ❤ Coachella star earrings / £6.99

I love stars. Simple as. Oh and I love H&M. So when I saw these earring I just had to have them! Statement earrings are back in fashion and these chandelier style earring definitely do that. They are lightweight and have a mix of black, glittery midnight blue and lilac in them which pretty much works with most outfits.

And finally the price – at only £6.99 they are an absolutely bargain. I have worn mine with my simplest outfits and they really take the outfit to another level. Grab a pair now before they sell out!

Available in store now – £6.99

THAT Next Peasant Top…

May 4, 2017May 10, 2017 | blueskygirlie

You might remember me saying I had treated myself to the Instafamous red Next peasant top as part of my birthday spending last month. I had seen this top on A LOT of bloggers and had fallen in love with it knowing it would be a great summer staple but also something that was a bit different from my other summer tops.

Now we all know seeing something on Instagram and wearing it in real life are two very different things. For a start I do not have the body of a typical Instafamous blogger type – I am over 40, 5’2″ and curvy so not all ‘it’ items work for me…in fact many dont 🙈.

So what did I think? Well I really like this top. It is priced at £40 and well worth it in my opinion – it’s great quality (a thick, quite boxy, cotton) with lots of embroidery and a tassel tie collar. The red is REALLY red and it looks great with denim (and hopefully a tan when I finally get one!).

A word of warning though – it is quite short in the body. I think it was designed to skim over the waistline, or be tucked in and for someone my height it hangs longer to my hips which works for me. But if you are taller you might want to size up. The sleeves are also designed to be slightly shorter – a bracelet length but with them being bell shaped I think that looks ok.

This top comes in sizes S – XL and I went for a medium. It’s loose but not too baggy on me and has that bit of extra length to it.

Ultimately though, this top is all about the sleeves…the embroidery is really nicely done and you feel like this could be a designer top. Its material has weight to it and the tassels are heavy making it feel very authentic.

For todays post I co-ordinated it with this bargain Primark sandals and bag combo – the sandals are just £4 and I recently grabbed this red pair and a denim version in store. They are really comfortable with an elasticated back and wrap over fabric front. The cross body bag is just £7 and looks much more expensive – I love the navy and red strapping. Its a good size too if youre like me and carry far too much stuff with you!

Top – Next – available here.
Jeans – Very.co.uk
Sunglasses/Sandals/Bag – Primark

Oh and if you REALLY love this blouse but red is not your thing – it comes in blue too!

Youre welcome 😉

#AD Skin Chemists Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

April 17, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

As its a new month I am reviewing a new Skin Chemists product, this month its their Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night cream. As you know I am always excited to receive a Skin Chemists product and have found their products consistently good. But what about this one – is it worth adding to your (probably) already cluttered beauty product shelf or drawer?

OK, lets start where I always start…the asthetics. The look of this product is fabulous – its a large size (50ml) and is in a tall yellow dispenser that just looks so bright and cheerful. In a world of drab packaging and boring products, it is a joy to see it sitting on your bathroom shelf! It uses a pump action to deliver exactly how much cream you need per daily application and dispenses from the bottom up meaning there is no wastage.

But we all know it doesn’t matter how good something looks, it needs to work. So what does Skin Chemists say about this product?

Wake up to a revived, more youthful complexion with the Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream. Did you know that the skin repair can almost double as we sleep?

By picking the right products with the most effective active ingredients, we can take advantage of this valuable repair time to ensure that we really do get our “beauty sleep”. To make the most of this precious repair time and keep our skin plump and luscious, we developed our Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream.

Our Advanced Pro-5 Collagen Range is a unique and true revolutionary formula for perfect skin showing the early sings of ageing. Our Advanced Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream aims to boost skin elasticity and even the skin tone, restoring it to optimal level when your skin is in its most restorative state as you sleep.

For me at 44 years old (don’t tell anyone!) and a working mum who could probably do with a bit more rest than she is getting, this is all sounding very appealing. The main active ingredients in the formulation are:

Marine Collagen which aims to leave the skin smooth, supple and rich.
Gatuline Bio which works to promote skin health and regeneration, reducing the visibility of wrinkles by renewing dull or ageing skin and providing hydration.
Matrixyl 3000 which aims to smooth away visible wrinkles and blemishes for an even mattified complexion.

I used this product after removing my make-up each night and noticed a few things straight away. It is absorbed into the skin really easily and it has a lovely, sweet delicate smell – slightly reminiscent of childrens sweeties. It made my skin feel quickly refreshed as if it had had a drink of water and its bright look is just not on the outside – using it definitely made me feel quite cheerful – no idea why it just did!

Now, I’ve got to be honest usually with Skin Chemists products I notice an effect pretty much straight away but in the first week of using this cream I didnt see/feel much difference. Yes, my skin felt nourished each night but visually I couldnt see much difference in the morning. However I kept using the product and by mid week 2 – POW!!! I suddenly saw quite a significant change. My skin felt plumped and looked smoother and best of all had developed rather a nice glow to it. This is one of the reasons I always test beauty products for a minimum of 2-3 weeks and advise my followers to do the same (unless they experience any irritation etc.) – some products take longer to take effect than others. Even under light make-up I felt my skin was more radiant…

But with so many different skincare choices, why should we be using collagen-rich products? According to Skin Chemists, from the age of 20 collagen production starts to decrease so we need to give our skin a helping hand by using products with active ingredients that help to boost and support collagen production. I find this really interesting because as I have got older I have definitely noticed my skin losing some of its elasticity and not looking as fresh as it once did. I might be aging but I am definitely wanting to keep my face looking younger for longer.

So in summary, for me this is a product you need to choose to use daily as part of your night-time beauty routine and for an extended amount of time. It is not a ‘quick fix’ but with continued use definitely seems to improve skin that is not as fresh and glowing as it once was. It is easy to use and 50ml lasts a good amount of time…and the glow, well thats the best part of it for me.

My followers can get the Pro-5 Collagen Oxygenating Night cream for £19.99 until the end of the month (instead of the RRP of £109) using the code BLUESKYBLOG. The code is valid throughout April. Find it here – if you use it let me know, I’d love to know your results!

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Birthday Bonanza

April 13, 2017 | blueskygirlie

So last month it was my birthday. Its lovely to receive presents particularly when most of the year youre spending your money mainly on other people (kids I’m looking at you). Want to see a selection of what I was lucky enough to get?

As a working mum/stepmum of three boys, doing up a house, with a foreign summer holiday on the cards, there’s nothing too extravagant here but have a look and hopefully get inspired for some present choices of your own…

V by Very colour block coat, V by Very embellished cross-body bag / Very.co.uk

I had been after this coat for a while and when it went 50% off in the Very sale pointed my boyfriend towards it. It is wool with different colour panels and really looks fab with just jeans and a t-shirt.

This bag was another item that went into sale, it was out of stock for ages but when a few appeared online I made sure one of them ended up as a birthday gift for me! The detail on the strap is just lovely and has got quite a few comments plus they go together nicely too!

Embroidered sleeve peasant top / Next

Everywhere on Instagram, this top will be a summer staple for me. Be warned though it comes up quite short so I went up a size to the medium. The detail is amazing though and it looks like a £300 top not a £40 one.

Love you to the moon and back artwork / Clintons

I am going to hang this within a collection of artworks on one of our feature walls – its a phrase my fiancé always says to me so has real meaning too.

Boho jacket, fluted sleeve jumper, assymetrical earrings / M&S

I had been given some money so put it to good use in good old M&S. The fluted sleeve ‘it’ jumper had been on my wishlist since Christmas so I decided to treat myself but instead of my usual grey I went pink!

Reasons I love you gift box / Not on the High Street

This was the cutest little birthday gift from my fiancé…there are 10 handwritten notes in this pretty box saying reasons why he loves me ☺️ I do love a personalised gift and a romantic gesture too.

Bloom by Estee Lalonde/ Amazon

I was interviewed by Estee as part of the behind the scenes filming on the Garnier advert I filmed last December and was struck by her cool Canadian style. Her book has all sorts of tips and information in and I really like its relaxed but stylish vibe.

‘Hello Lovely’ hanging mirror plaque / Wilkinsons

Because if you can’t have a mirror tell you youre lovely then whats the point? This is really lovely and adds a feminine touch to my usually quite retro tastes.

Vintage 1980’s necklace / Vintage Fair

Ah my best friend knows me well! I will wear this with a black polo neck or t-shirt while channeling my inner Melanie Griffiths in Working Girl. I love vintage jewellery for its uniqueness and love this look.

And that is a selection of the bits I got! I hope my presents gave you some style inspiration – its lovely to receive gifts you love and I usually set up a wishlist or ask for money to achieve just that.

So I’d better start building it back up – its only 8 months to Christmas!!!