DHC

My Holiday Skincare – Amsterdam Edit

- Vicki 8 Comments

At the end of August I spent a week in Amsterdam, its a city I have visited a couple of times before & I just love it there. Its such a beautiful and vibrant city. I thought I would share with you my travel skincare. I must say I was very pleased with myself as I normally over pack & this time I was determined to pack light & take samples and sachets which I had been hoarding for a while now.

First up is my blue and white polka dot Dirty Works wash bag, this was so handy as I was able to hang it up in my hotel bathroom & have easy access to all of my toiletries. It has two small compartments & a much larger one at the bottom with a zip.
Travel Skincare

Skincare for Amsterdam

My Amsterdam Skincare

Travel Skincare

In the top compartment I had:-

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitiser in Vanilla Berry Sorbet. I never leave home without one of these bottles & once in Amsterdam I transferred it to my handbag.

Essence Makeup Wipes* – I used these as hand wipes & found them very useful. I used all 15 wipes throughout the week

Razor / Tweezers / Hair Bobble & Earbuds – All necessities.

Amsterdam Skincare sample s

In the middle compartment are my sachets & I had been hoarding so many. They’re perfect for holiday.

I took 7 Kleenex Face Cloths instead of my normal muslin cloths as they took up less space and I didn’t have to bring them back in my suitcase. These Kleenex Face Cloths have been discontinued

Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Mask – I love using eye masks & these ones are so hydrating and calming. I also took a set of the DHC Revitalising Moisture Strips Eyes – Another pack of eye masks. I like to sleep in these ones, so when I wake up my under eyes look fresh and my concealer doesn’t sink into my fine lines.

Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Sheet Mask – These are so nice after a long day sight seeing and just keep your skin looking plump and hydrated. It’s cooling on the skin and once you take the mask off you can pat in the remaining Hydraluron (don’t want to waste that).

Bio Beaute NUXE – I didn’t need to use this Moisturiser so I have it saved for my next trip

Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Lightweight Cream – This was a very lightweight moisturiser and it had a velvet finish. It wore very well under my foundation. I’m tempted to purchase the full size of this.

Garnier Ultra Lift Moisturiser – I like how smoothing and hydrating this Garnier cream is. It always makes my skin feel instantly soft.

Amsterdam Skincare Essentials

Garnier Mineral Invisible Deodorant – I normally use a natural deodorant which is in a glass bottle & didn’t want to take that away so bought this Garnier one. It was good but I do prefer to use a natural one & didn’t bring this back home with me.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanner – LOVE the sun kissed glow this gives. It looks so even and natural. Its one of my favourite discoveries of 2014. I couldn’t go away without it. It helps my legs look 100% better than they usually do.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion – This smells lovely & grown up. It was the perfect size for 7 days & I used it all up in that time.

Skincare Samples

Batiste Dry Shampoo – No one wants greasy hair! I always have a mini can for when I travel. It’s not my favourite dry shampoo but it does a good job.

Tresemme Heat Defence – Just a good lightweight heat protector. Since having my haircut short I do use heat a more often than I used to so I had to bring this with me to stop my hair drying out & I will purchase the full size.

Elemis Revitalise Me Shampoo & Conditioner – These were really nice and hydrating and left my hair feeling nourished and glossy.

Moroccanoil Treatment Oil – This is very nourishing and helps keep frizz at bay. I like how smooth and silky my hair feels after using this.

Travel Skincare

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth  Face Balm – This is a lovely gentle balm cleanser with tiny granules in so it exfoliates away all the dead skin and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. It also removes every last scrap of makeup so you’re skin feels very clean and fresh. I loved using this each night and will purchase the full size.

Radical Peptide Infused Antioxidant Serum* – I love this serum & it keeps my skin looking glowing and healthy. I save it for special occasions & holiday.

Bioderma – Can we just have a moment for how cute this mini bottle is. I like using this to remove my eye makeup as its gentle and you don’t have to rub at your eye.

Merumaya Treatment Toner* – After a long day sight seeing and being in the elements this helped to keep my skin hydrated, bright and feeling soft. It feels very fresh on the skin and has that recognisable Merumaya scent (which I love).

ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Serum – The only product I used on my face over night & I LOVE this serum so much. If you need to wake up with skin that looks well rested and very healthy then this is the serum for that job. It is like great skin in a bottle. I don’t think I have used a serum / oil that is this nourishing. I only have good things to say about it & could go on all day. I have spoke about it many times on my blog.

Murad Essential C Eye Cream – This wasn’t very gentle & stung my eyes. I have used a couple of other products from this range & really liked them but this eye cream wasn’t a hit for me & after 2 days I stopped using it.

Apivita Face Cream SPF50 – This didn’t break me out & wasn’t too greasy. It was quite thick when I first applied it but after It was massaged in it felt nice on my skin & I like to wear SPF50 on my face. Even though we had mostly rain you can never be too careful.

Let me know if you think I managed to pack light for a weeks holiday. Also let me know what you take away with you.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own

DHC Premium Lipsticks

- Vicki 13 Comments
DHC Lipsticks

DHC Lipsticks

Cult Japanese brand DHC is very well known for their skincare and I love their Cleansing Oil and Eye Masks but they also have a makeup line which includes Lipsticks, Eyeliners, Blushers and a few other products. They have recently released a line of Premium Lipsticks and these come in 6 easy to wear shades. I have been testing 3 of the colours.

DHC Makeup

The first thing you notice is the packaging, they have a very high-end look and feel to them, the casing is a stunning mix of gold and silver with etched flower detailing. They look very pretty and feel luxurious. The only downside to the packaging is the fact they don’t have the product names on, the boxes have only the number and the lipstick themselves have neither.

The three shades I have are all quite muted and perfect as everyday options. These lipsticks are almost an extension of DHC’s skincare line and brand ethos in that they have an underline skincare benefit too as These lipsticks ‘fight the signs of ageing in two ways, firstly by using Pure Colour Technology which contains micronized pigment to deflect light, creating a plump and 3D lip effect and secondly by reducing the appearance of vertical lines with ingredients such as macadamia oil, olive oil and rice bran oil to moisturise, collagen and sodium hyaluronic to lock in moisture and vitamin A and geranium to protect and condition’.

All three of the ones I have are rich in colour and the formula is soft, hydrating and it glides on the lips effortlessly. They have a satin finish, no shimmer (which is good) they leave your lips looking fresh, plumo and with a pop of colour. The three colours I have are, 

OE112 Bold Permission* – This is a glossy peach toned nude, this makes my lips look healthy and like I have lipstick on but nothing too bold. Its a nice nude with a hint of peach, its a great colour for warming up your complexion

RS107 Rich Raspberry* – This is the brightest of the three colours I have and it’s a stunning raspberry pink – true to its name. This looks so pretty on the lips and I think its the ideal Summer shade. It’s just such a bright, fresh looking colour.

BE111 Rose Gold* – This is more of a true nude although it leans more to a brown on my lips, this is such an easy colour to wear. Its most definitely a My Lips But Better colours. It makes my lips look plump, smooth and very healthy. I love having this colour in my handbag as I can apply it on the go, no mirror needed.

DHC Premium GE Lipsticks

DHC Premium Lipstick Swatches

If you like your lipstick to be hydrating, easy to apply and fresh looking then these DHC Premium Lipsticks are for you. I find that they last a good amount of time on me, a good couple of hours. If you are eating and drinking they will wear off as they’re a satin finish and quite buttery on the lips but topping them up is so easy too! I have had these on rotation since I got them and have really enjoyed wearing them.

As I said the packaging is beautiful and they look a lot more expensive than they are.

These are really easy to get your hands on because Escentual have started stocking DHC skincare and makeup so that’s great news. You can also find them at DHC Online.

DHC Premium Lipstick – 2.4g for £13.00 – currently in the sale for £10.40

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However, if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

 

Hydrate * Firm * Brighten * Refresh

- Vicki 9 Comments

DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips

DHC are a Japanese brand renowned for their great skincare, I really like their Cleansing Oil and have blogged about that numerous times. These Revitalizing Moisture Strips* are quite a popular way of reducing puffiness and hydrating your under eyes. I have used some from YSL which I loved. These DHC ones come in a box with 6 individually packaged sachets, which makes them perfect to put in your flight bag, or use the morning after the night before or if you just want to relax and enjoy a pamper session. Really for any situation you feel you will need to look your best or when you feel you need a little TLC.

Eye Strips

These adhere to your skin really well, they don’t slip about they stay in place so you don’t have to stay still whilst you have them on and they feel lovely and instantly cooling on your skin. They give your skin a concentrated flow of nutrients including Mulberry (calming), Alpha Arbutin (helps brighten), Olive Leaf (Antioxidant) and Soy (condition and protect). I found the strips easy to apply and they tell you to leave them on for 20 – 30 minutes or if you want a more intense burst of moisture & nutrients then to leave them on over night (I’ve not tried this yet), but can imagine this would be a great thing to do in the run up to a big event.

I’ve used 3 sets of these so far and really like them, they’re instantly cooling but feel tight at first but I think thats just the stickiness, this does wear off and I found them quite comfortable. I like to leave them on for as long as I can so about 45 minutes and they really do refresh, brighten & hydrate but I couldn’t say that they firm so much. As I use them a little more I might be able to notice a more firming effect, especially when I use them overnight

DHC

I suffer from terrible dark circles, probably from all the time I spend looking at the computer screen. I do notice after using these my under eye area looks brighter, feels smooth and the skin is less puffy. Very effective little masks!

When you remove them, they come away from the skin easily so no need to tug and the don’t pull the skin. They leave behind no sticky or greasy residue so if you’re using them whilst travelling you don’t have to wash that area which is handy.

DHC

In action

I really enjoyed using these & my mum even pinched a pack and said she thought they were great (she is 56). I will always have a box of these in my stash now as they’re a perfect quick fix for puffy / dark under eyes and for looking your best at an important event.

Have you used any eye strips? Did you find they helped brighten and refresh? These DHC ones are a great under eye pick me up. They’re available from DHC online store, a box of 6 sachets  for £6.95.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

YOU BEAUTY DISCOVERY ADVENT CALENDAR DAY 17, 18 & 19

- Vicki 9 Comments

See what was behind doors 17, 18 & 19 in my You Beauty Discovery Advent Calendar* I have so enjoyed opening this each morning & I have surprised myself by not opening them all at once. Its been such a treat each day.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

Behind door 17 was this DHC Deep Cleansing Oil*. I love this cleanser and have previously had a sample in a Glossybox. I took this Oil with me when I went to San Francisco in June and really enjoyed using it. It removes makeup easily and is very gentle. I found is to keep my skin hydrated and soft. I am very happy to have anther one. DHC is a Japanese company and their products are made using high quality ingredients, their skincare range is free from parabens and unnecessary fragrances and colourings. This sample is 30ml for £4.50

Dr Lipp Nipple Balm For Lips

Behind door 18 was the Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips*, finally I get to try this cult product. I have heard nothing but good reviews of this & winter is the perfect time to put it to the test. My lips are so dry. I must say my husband thought the name was hilarious! This is a multi purpose balm and can be used on burns, abrasions, cuticles, eczema and any dry skin. The good thing about this balm is that it is odourless and tasteless. This a full size product 15ml for £11.50

Model Co Mascara

Behind door 19 was this Models Co Mascara*. A girl can never have too many mascaras. This black mascara is said to lengthen and thicken your lashes leaving them looking thick and shiny. The brush is quite big & reminds me of the Soap & Glory mascara. This product is full size £10

I have never tried anything from Dr. Lipp or Models Co & look forward to using these. The DHC Cleanser is a favourite of mine and I took it with me to Scotland over Christmas.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.