Banishing the Blemishes #003 - The Skin Regime Book & Peel

Hi everyone! Part 3 of my Banishing the Blemishes series comes from a book called The Skin Regime: Bootcamp For Beautiful Skin. Dana, the author, contacted me a couple of weeks ago and very kindly offered to send me a copy, as well as a sample facial peel.

If you're anything like me, the thought of a peel makes you think of acid, pain, and your whole face being burnt off! Oh, how wrong I was. Dana's book guides you through how to safely perform peels at home, and encompasses skincare tips and tricks throughout.

I'm not really one for reading (unless it's a magazine, of course!), but Dana's book was a pleasure to read. It's written in a very matter-of-fact way, and is also very informative on the peels, and skincare in general. The book provides you with a Skincare Regime (hence the title!) to follow inbetween peels, which is very similar to my own, so big thumbs up to that!

*How amazing does Dana's skin look WITHOUT makeup?! Living proof the peels work wonders!

The book is ideal for any skincare fanatic (ahem, like myself), but also people who know very little about skincare, and have concerns about ageing/spots/scarring, etc. Now, on to the peel.

When Dana first contacted me, I was a little apprehensive of the peel side of things. I have always been worried about doing these sort of things in the past, but my mind was completely put to rest when I received the book. It's almost like a cook book, for your face. It has a whole section dedicated to how to use the peel, how to prep your skin before (and maintain it after) and a little bit on what to expect once the peel is on. After scouring the book, highlighting here and underlining there, I felt like I was ready to try it. The peel itself is in liquid form, so it needs to be gently swept over the face with a cotton pad, and left for around a minute (2 at the most). Upon application, my skin was tingling lots (a very strange sensation and quite hard to describe!). I washed it off, as instructed, and was left with very soft skin (if a little red!) The redness had subsided by the morning, but my skin was still beautifully soft!

Of course, I've only tried one peel, so can't comment on the long term effects, but my skin was left very soft and radiant. I can see how this peel would be fantastic for any congestion and scarring, as it really exfoliates and renews your skin. I would thoroughly recommend the book to all of you, as well as the peel. Even if you have sensitive skin, Dana guides you on how you can make the peel work for you. The peels are even sold in different strengths, so you're bound to find one perfect for you! Both the book and peels can be purchased on Dana's website here. You can also find Dana on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you ever tried an at-home facial peel?

xxx

John Frieda - Frizz Ease Products

Having been a Frizz Ease serum user for years now, you can imagine my excitement on being contacted about some additional Frizz Ease products. I have been using some lovely new John Frieda products for 3 weeks now, so here are my thoughts on them!

Frizz Ease Smooth Start Hydrating Shampoo - £5.89

The shampoo claims to block frizz and moisturise extra dry hair, for smooth and sleek hair. The formula contains a Frizz-Mending complex and olive oil to replenish moisture and restore natural hair frizz defences.

I was a little apprehensive that this shampoo would make my limp hair greasy after seeing the words "extra dry hair" and "moisturise", however, I was pleasently surprised. As with all John Frieda products, it smells lovely! The texture isn't as thick as I was expecting, a creamy gel, that foams up easily in to a good lather. I can't really comment on the shampoo's "frizz-mending" ability on its own, as I used the shampoo and conditioner in conjunction. However, I did notice a significant reduction in frizz. After drying my hair, I usually straighten it immediatley after as I hate it feeling frizzy. However, since switching to the frizz ease range (in conjunction with the serum, of course!), I don't feel the need to straighten my hair. Following a blow dry, it is silky, manageable and incredibly soft! As aforementioned, I'm not sure of the ability of a shampoo on its own to give these results, so I'll put it down to using the products together - a collective effect.

Frizz Ease Smooth Start Hydrating Conditioner - £5.89

The conditioner claims to work on the same basis as the shampoo: to tame frizz and replenish the hair's moisture. I really like using a deep conditioner on the ends of my hair, and this didn't disappoint. The texture is thicker than your regular conditioner, so makes a really nice base if you (like me!) add a couple of drops of hair oil to your conditioner. I'm not the most patient of people, and having conditioner on my hair for 5 minutes for it to "work" is incredibly annoying. I like an immediate effect after 1-2 minutes, and this shampoo definitely provided that - big thumbs up from me! You know the feeling when your hair is so smooth as you rinse conditioner off? Yep, this definitely gave that feeling! A big thumbs up from me, for being very hydrating, and leaving my hair very soft after only a couple of minutes of waiting, hurrah!

Frizz Ease Secret Agent Perfecting Creme - £5.49

Claiming to be ideal for both straight and curly styles, it instantly smoothes hair and camouflages dry, frizzy ends for a flawless, shiny finish.

I did stop using my beloved serum in place of this, but I found that in conjunction with the other products, it left my hair feeling weighed down. So, my sister was delighted to give it a go instead, and gave me her thoughts on it. She prefers to let her hair dry naturally and "scrunch" it with product to give a curly effect. She used this in place of her usual Herbal Essences (in the purple tub, the name escapes me), and was very happy with the results. Her hair usually gets a little frizzy the day after washing, and that was significantly reduced. She also commented on how soft her hair was since using the creme (although she may have stolen some of the shampoo and conditioner in addition!)

If you fancy trying out the products for yourself, you can buy them from Boots where the entire range is currently on 3 for £12!

For expert advice on hairstyling, head over to the John Frieda Youtube channel where you have access to a plethora of videos on everything from the John Frieda ranges to creating professional-looking hairstyles.

Do you use any John Frieda products?

xxx

My Gorgeous New Bag: Dolly Mack Designs

This morning, I fell in love... with a bag. After thinking for months it couldn't get any better than the infamous Zara Office City bag, it most definitely has. Meet my gorgeous new Dolly Mack Designs bag!

A couple of months ago, I received an email from the lovely Nicole telling me I'd won one of Allie's gorgeous hand made bags. Allie runs Dolly Mack Designs and is incredibly talented in creating personalised, high quality jute bags. I liased with her, creating a bag that represented me - you can customise the hair style and colour, eye colour, outfit and even accessories, so the bag is perfect for you! It's then finished with your name, lots of glitter and a bow. I can't wait to show off my brand new bag to all of my friends, who will definitely be green with jealousy! 

The service I received from Allie was fantastic, she is friendly and very talented! Ordering your own bag is easy - just complete the order form and watch the space. It was torture seeing photos of everybody else's bags while mine was being made, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Dolly Mack hand-customised bags start from £25 for a medium bag and £30 for a large bag (mine is a large). To check out all of Allie's designs, visit her Facebook page here.

What do you think of my new bag?

xxx