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Category: Reviews

  1. Glamglow Youth Mud and Supermud Face Masks Review

    Posted on

    glamglowmaskscombo

    Review of Glamglow Youth Mud (Tingling and Exfoliating) and Super Mud Masks

    Glam Glow's Mud Face Masks are all the rage this year, highly popular with A List Celebrities and Fashion models alike.

    Here's some more information about the two Glamglow products I tried:

    Youth Mud (Black jar)
    A 10-minute professional-quality mud mask for men and women.

    What it is formulated to do:
    This mud mask leaves skin noticeably radiant and glowing. It activates moisturizing collagen synthesis, provides gentle resurfacing exfoliation, and helps to leave skin smoother, brighter, and softer. While providing tighter skin texture and tighter pores, it provides a more youthful appearance and absorbs impurities without removing natural oils.

    Suggested Usage:
    -Apply a thin layer to clean face (can also be used on the neck and chest).
    -Remove mask with water in circular motions to exfoliate.
    -Use twice a week or as often as desired.
    -Seal lid tightly.
    -To re-liquefy, add drops purified water and stir.

    Ingredients:

    French Sea Clay: Absorbs impurities and toxic substances, while leaving essential natural oils and minimizing pore size.
    -Volcanic Pumice Rock: Multi-level surface exfoliation that you control to clear dead skin cells, smoothing out fine lines and softening skin texture.
    -Green Tea Leaf Pieces: GLAMGLOW® groundbreaking patent pending TEAOXI™ technology delivers fresh Super-Squalene, EGCG super antioxidants, and Polypenols directly into the mud from the real pieces of tea leaf.

    Water, Montmorillonite, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polyethylene, Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil, Glycerin, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea.

    Super Mud (white jar)

    What it is:
    A scientifically advanced SUPER-MUD™ clearing treatment to target, prevent, and heal problem skin.

    What it does:
    This formula was clinically developed by GLAMGLOW® dermatological chemists to help fight all common skin concerns, including breakouts, discoloration, black and white heads, razor bumps and in-grown hair.

    Suggested Usage:
    -Apply a thin layer to clean skin.
    -Leave on for five, 10, 15, or 20 minutes.
    -Pore-Matrix™ will reveal dots of vacuum extractions.
    -Remove with water.
    -Use as often as needed.
    -Use as a full mask or spot treatment.

    Ingredients

    ACNECIDIC-6™: 4.4%; a proprietary six-acid blend of AHA and BHA acids perfectly PH balanced to deal with damaged skin, de-clog, and minimize pores, pigmentation, scaring and breakouts.
    -Activated-X Charcoal: An extreme absorption carbon, attracting toxic substances into its mass up to 500 times its volume from all skin types.
    -K17-Clay™: Extracts and encapsulates excess sebum oils, bacteria, and toxins in a controlled stasis state.
    -TEAOXI™: Delivers daily fresh natural eucalyptol, natural-linalool oil, and powerful flavonoids direct into the formula from real pieces of eucalyptus leaf.

    Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Globulus, Mandelic Acid, Charcoal, Parfum [Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool], Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Iron Oxides, Peppermint Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Chamoilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hendera Helix Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

    100_1814

    Left: Glam Glow Youth Mud Right: Glam Glow Super Mud

    Review:

    Ok, so I was kindly sent some free samples from one of the UK Distributors and decided to trial them both at the same time. I have Dry/Oily combination skin so put the Youth Mud on my Cheeks and Forehead and the Clearing Mud down my nose and chin, where I have quite a few whiteheads and blackheads.

    The texture of the Youthmud has a slightly gritty feel due to the exfoliating properties and the Supermud is smoother with a runnier consistency. Both have a refreshing scent.  First of all I cleansed and toned my face and then applied the masks. I left them on for around 20 mins and washed off, they left my skin feeling a little tight but not as much as if I just use a regular clay face mask. I ended my facial by applying some camellia oil.

    The results, well my skin felt refreshed but no more than when I apply any face mask and I did not see any visible difference in the blackheads and whiteheads around my nose and chin where the Clearing mud was applied. Overall for me, these were mediocre face masks, for which I would give a rating of 3/5 but then when considering the price (up to £49.99 for 50ml) I would have to say 1/5. I feel that I could have got similar results from a clay based face mask  that cost say £10 or less

    glamglowbeforeandafter

    Before, During and After

     

    Until next time

    Zoe

    x

  2. CND Vinylux Review Days 1 to 5

    Posted on

    vinylux colour chart may 2013 final

    Vinylux is a new revolutionary type of nail polish pioneered by CND the makers of the highly popular Shellac Power Polish.

    What makes Vinyluxdifferent to other polishes?

    • It requires no base coat so application time is faster
    • It can last up to 7 days (with common sense nail care and regular cuticle oil)
    • It dries in 8 1/2 mins, again so application time is faster
    • The top coat actually toughens over time with exposure to natural light with ProLight technology

    At present, Vinylux is available in 72 colours including many of the Shellac colours, an added bonus for customers who for example want to Shellac their Hands and just want to apply a polish to their toes in the same colour at home.

    Anyway that is the preamble, down to the review of days 1 to 3. A little background, naturally my nails are weak and I normally can't last a day without chipping my nails. This is not normally due to polish but my activities, doing treatments, gardening, typing on the computer, crafting, etc, my work and hobbies are hand heavy!

    The application was fine, it felt a bit weird to not use a base coat and I found it was best to do 2 medium layers (not too thin and not too thick) and just lightly brush on the top coat. I found that if your 1st layer was too thin, it looked a little streaky. The polish consistency is neither too thick nor too runny and it is easy to overload your brush so just swipe any of the excess off before applying. The finished application has a brilliant shine similar to that of Shellac but I have found that it has dulled slightly by day 3.

    I am now on Day 3 and I have not one chip in sight, I can see teeny tiny signs of wear at the very free-edge (tip) of my nails.  I don't think I sealed them as well as I should have done with the Top Coat, its a challenge as my nails are quite short. My nails also feel strengthened, like when I have a nail strengthening base coat on. So all in all up to now I am very pleased with the results if a little irritated that I am now bored with my polish colour as I like to change it up so much! Anyway stay tuned for Days 4 to 7.

    vinylux day 1

    Pink Bikini and Lilac Longing Day 1

    vinylux day 3

    Day 3 sorry about the lighting

    Update: Boredom bit me and I changed my polish before the 7 days and forgot to take a photo before I removed it - so here is my next application using CND Vinylux in Lilac Longing with another brand polish, some foil and a few rhinestones on the ring finger.

    This time I capped the free edge with two coats of Top Coat and I got an amazing 5 days out of it! Seriously for Ms Chip My Mani in 1/2-1 day that is amazing :) By the way, unlike my 1st experiment I took this application off after 5 days as it needed it due to some obvious chips on 4 nails (the thumbs and little fingers are both still totally wearable though) rather than I got bored of it.

    vinylux combo

    My overall verdict is that for people who

    a) like to change their polish regularly but still want it to last more than a few days - I mean who has time for a mani every 1 or 2 days?!

    b) chip their polish easily

    c) are not into Shellac or other Gel Polishes as they don't want a 2-3 week manicure

    d) may want a Shellac manicure & a Polish pedicure in the same colour

    then CND Vinylux is perfect!

    ***