Spring 2011 saw a hint of pastels in the form of florals and lace, but they come to light more so in 2012 coupled with a few dashes more of white, and yet even more softness with a powdery feel.

The key item that you will see as being most prominent in mags and blogs,is the pastel skinny jean. Late last summer, I bought some bright coral Diesel skinny jeans (bargain at £20 from TK Maxx) but never actually dared to wear them outside my own home! Now, I adore the new pastel jeans and am a fairly confident girl but I am really unsure whether I would be brave enough to wear baby pink jeans to work or shopping in Leeds! Perhaps on holiday, somewhere like Italy teamed with patent nude heels, a white vest and a hot man – sorry…getting carried away!

You can still embrace the pastel trend without having to be too brave. If there’s a trend I love but think it may not be around too long or perhaps I am not feeling very wealthy, I always just buy a few accessories and add to a classic outfit. For example, cute mint socks or a pretty lilac scarf can instantly update your classic blue jeans and white vest look – even one of Models Own pastel nail colours can bring you up to trend. Or, for a more toned down look for work, pale grey/silver looks gorge with nude, peach or a pale strawberry shade.

For clothes, the key pastels colours include faded shades of rose, coral, purple, lemon, blue and green teamed with light greys or tan/beige shades. For make-up, you just need to be a little careful as certain pastel lipsticks or eye and cheek colours can wash you out and make you look pasty. So, you have two choices – either pick carefully or tan! Now I love my weekly fake tanning sessions and am pretty dark skin toned anyway, so don’t need to worry too much but there are certain baby pink blushers that make me look more poorly than pretty. I think the key is to test on the back of your hand and look for shades that make your tone look brighter not greyer.

I will be filming a Spring 2012 make up look/how to video once all must have items have hit the stores; until then here’s my 2011 one to give you an idea of what to expect http://youtu.be/l9Td_hu1E_s

Enjoy! And let me know what your fave pastel item is for this Spring; whether its clothes, accessories or make up x

I can only apologise to my PR contacts working on this event for only just blogging about this At the time of the event I was 6 months into singledom at 30 (which sucked!) and whilst the event itself perked me up, I have not felt up to blogging at all since. I am determined to have the best year yet in 2012 though so wanted to share my experience with you all and hope it’s not too late!

The idea behind these boutiques are for busy ladies to get great quality beauty treatments on the go. They provide a one-stop to beauty shop ideal for preparation before a night out or big event. It completes a perfect girly shopping day – with champagne on arrival and a chance to put your feet up and be pampered.

I was lucky enough to sample a few treatments. First of all I had a simple, but always needed and loved, manicure and nail paint. I chose a gorgeous natural nail colour by Leighton Denny and the beautician added delicate diamanté at the tip of each nail. The manicure lasted up to 10 days so I was really pleased with that.

I then tried some permanent lashes as I wouldn’t usually experiment with these. Having naturally black hair means I have dark lashes and they are fairly long so mascara usually provides the impact I need for nights out. As lashes become increasingly popular, and as a beaut blogger, I felt it only right to test and review these. It was a relaxing treatment that lasted about 1 hour. The beautician slowly and delicately applied individual lashes which were glued (using semi-permanent glue) to the base of each natural lash. The outcome was amaze! When I went to work everyone noticed (yes, even the guys!) but yet all agreed they looked completely natural. Almost 3 weeks passed and they were still looking great – and with such large lashes I didn’t need eyeliner or mascara so my make-up application time was reduced which was an added bonus. The lashes slowly started to shed after 4 weeks but I made a stupid mistake by removing my eye make-up after a rum too many with Vaseline forgetting it would dilute the glue and remove my lashes. So, I experienced a little disaster when my natural lashes came out at the same time leaving me feeling very bare! I missed my lashes after only a few hours so went to Mint Nail and Beauty Spa in Leeds to be rescued! The girls there were great and simply added a few thick, individual lashes to the gaps I had. These lasted around 2 weeks and provided me with enough time for my natural lashes to grow back. So, overall girls, I would highly recommend lash extensions but warn you to be prepared to spend extra care when removing make-up (purchase wipes specifically for false lashes or at the very least choose products with no trace of oil) and do not – however much you are tempted – remove the extensions at home. You really do need a professional to apply lash removal gel and careful take them off without damaging your natural lashes.

Finally, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time with James Read. We chatted about my skin type and fake tan techniques, and he demonstrated some of the Fake Bake tanning products which I am now a huge fan of. My favourite is the Flawless Self Tanning Liquid which ticks all the boxes of easy to apply, natural (yet dark) colour, nice scent and long lasting. I use this probably about every 14 days or so and I find it fades so naturally you can’t actually tell it is fake tan. I apply this with the tanning mitt and do find it creates a much smoother and streak-free result – as well as limited stained hands and fingers!

Overall, a great experience I was lucky enough to attend and something I will certainly visit the next time I’m shopping in Manchester. We just need one in Leeds now!

I would love to schedule regular videos each week, however with my full time job time is limited and very precious so I will have to record as and when I have the time. My aim is to do at least 2 a month on a weekend and I want to produce videos that you find most useful, so please let me know whether you prefer random updates, product reviews, how to tutorials or anything else beauty related.

I am thinking of including more fashion and style related posts also this year as my ‘Primark Haul’ videos have been very popular. In addition, I am thinking of a series of ‘break-up advice’ videos – what do you think?

So here goes… I have given a couple of options per category to cater for when you’re feeling rich or struggling with the pennies. Oh, and i’ve made all products mentioned into hyperlinks so you can view the products online for yourself. Enjoy.

1. Skincare

Eve Lom & Vaseline

2. Bodycare

Doublebase from your doctors & Dove Silk Glow

3. All Round Product

Yu-Be Japanese Moisturiser & Vaseline

4. Moisturiser

Eve Lom TLC Cream & Nivea

5. Foundation

MAC Studio Fix (NW30) & Revlon Colorstay (True Beige)

6. Concealer

Benefit Boi-ing (No. 2) & Rimmel Hide The Blemish (Soft Honey)

7. Blusher

Benefit Benetint & MAC Blushcreme (Posey)

8. Eye Product

Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll On & Benefit High Brow

9. Eyeliner

Barry M Liquid Eyeliner & Maybelline Liner Express

10. Mascara

YSL Volume Effect & Maybelline Falsies

11. Lipstick

Barry M Lip Paint (No. 150 Pink Suede) & Revlon Matte Lipstick (Nude Attitude)

12. Lipgloss

Barry M Glossy Tube (No. 4) & Benefit Lipgloss (Foxy Lady)

13. Lipliner

Rimmel 1,000 Kisses Lipliner (Cappuccino) & Barry M Liner (Mulberry)

14. Shampoo & Conditioner

L’Anza Healing Volume Range & Andrew Collinge Purity Volume Therapy Range

15. Hair Styling Product

Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a Bottle & Redken All Soft Velvet Whip

16. Straighteners

GHD (& would like to say Cloud Nine but yet to try )

17. Curling Product

Babyliss Big Hair Volume Styler (& again would love to say The O by Cloud Nine, but still waiting to try)

18. Volume Product

Babyliss Root Boost Styler & L’Anza Powder Up Texturiser

19. Nail Polish

Barry M Nail Paint & OPI Range

20. Nail Treatment

OPI Nail Envy & Nu Nale Strengthening Cream

21. Nail Gel Overlay

Star Nails & Rio Nails

22. Nail Art

WAH / Models Own Nail Art Pens & Poundland Gems

23. Facial Scrub

St Ives Apricot Scrub & Origins Modern Friction

24. Fake Tan

St Moriz Spray & Beyond Bronze Fake Bake Spray

25. Always in my handbag…

Blistex Relief Cream (& most of the above!!!)

I paid my £0.49 towards this and was hoping I’d made the right purchase with my voucher. Oh my, did i! I like my hair to look full of body and volume, and tend to rely on dry shampoo and other powders to lift my hair. I tried this on dry, finished hair and simply sprayed upwards into my hair, ruffling with my finertips…the look was amazing! Full, lifted, matte, messy…very on trend.

I now use this everyday instead of a hairspray or wax. It can be used throughout the day too if you want a perk. I can’t recommend this enough…you must try it! Oh, and I think Boots have 3 products for £10 on this range at the moment so why not shop there. I can’t wait to try their other ‘glam hair’ products.

Have you tried it?

]]> http://www.slstevo.com/2011/09/umberto-giannini-backcomb-in-a-bottle/feed/ 3 http://www.slstevo.com/2011/08/how-to-get-the-perfect-nude-lips/ http://www.slstevo.com/2011/08/how-to-get-the-perfect-nude-lips/#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:35:06 +0000 Sarah Louise Stevenson http://www.slstevo.com/?p=2315

I am now officially 30 years old, although I feel 24! I’ve been using make-up and picking up tips and advice for over 16 years now so thought this would be a great opportunity for me to share some of the things i’ve learnt along the way with you all.

1. Unsure whether your skin tone is cool or warm? Simply look at the veins on your wrist. If they are blueish, you are cool-toned; if they are greenish you are warm-toned.
2. If you want your teeth to look whiter, choose a gloss with blue tones. This isn’t as scary as it sounds! Try Benefits Foxy Lady lipgloss or Models Own lipgloss in Ice Blue.
3. For days when you look super tired and concealer just isn’t doing the job good enough, apply a pink-toned highlighter under the outer corners of your eyes, under your eyebrowns and high on the cheekbones.
4. Another tip for tired eyes which works everytime, is to use a skin coloured eyeliner in the inners of your eyes. The MAC Chromagraphic Pencil NC15/NW20 is just perfect and lasts for about 6 / 7 hours without the need to re-apply.
5. A tip for lasting nail polish is to dip your nails in vinegar before applying the polish! (buff nails after the vinegar so they aren’t wet).
6. Staying on nail tips..to avoid strong colours such as navy or red staining your nail bed, always apply a clear coat of polish before the colour.
7. Hygiene is key in keeping skin clear…it’s okay to wear lots of make-up if you suffer from spots and breakouts, so long as you clean your pillowcases, mobile phone, work phone and make-up brushes once a week.
8. If you are out and about and have forgotten your blusher…simply rub a couple of spots of lipstick to your cheeks.
9. Exfoliate your lips each week with a dry toothbrush and Vaseline…it works wonders!
10. Always wash your hair twice in one session; once to remove products used, rinse and wash again to actually clean your hair. You will get super squeaky shiny hair
11. Struggling to avoid clumps with mascara? Wipe/dab the end of the mascara wand to a tissue before applying and use it on your lower lashes first which are shorter and will remove the majority of thick mascara on the wand first. In addition, I find that more than one coat makes your lashes look fake, messy and unnatural rather than full and long! Just apply one coat but do it really slowly, wiggling your mascara wand from root to tip lots!
12. Curling your lashes only truly lasts the day if the curlers are heated. Think of your lashes as you do your hair which only sets once heated (rollers, hairdryers, straightners etc) then cooled down. If you don’t have heated eyelash curlers, just buy some cheap standard ones and heat up with your hairdryer before using; then once released hold your lashes with your finger for a few seconds. Voila!
13. It’s gross but needs to be mentioned…if you have a spot or blackhead and can’t resist a squeeze, push down with your fingers at either side. Never squeeze togther, it upsets the skin and will more than likely scar – or at least take longer to disappear.
14. Nervous to apply liquid eyeliner? Don’t be! If you relax and use one big sweep starting from the inner corner to the outer, fast, you will succeed. Practise, practise, practise too!
15. Unsure of the order to do your make-up? Follow these steps for a no fail look: moisturiser, primer, foundation, concealer, powder, eyes, lips, blush.
16. To achieve the best fake tan at home; have a warm shower and use a gentle body scrub with some exfoliating gloves. Afterwards, pat yourself dry (don’t rub) and apply a plain moisturiser such as E45 to knees, elbows and all over your feet. Put on some gloves to save your hands and nails from getting stained, then start with your face as you won’t have product covered hands at that point. Apply to your face as you would foundation, adding another layer to your cheeks, forehead and nose (as you would a bronzing powder). Then apply to your chest, tummy, sides, back, bum, thighs, legs, feet (mix half tan with half moisturiser), arms then hands last. The way I do my hands is to apply tan right up to the wrist where your gloves start, then roll your gloves up on each hand so you are only covering your fingers and apply to the back of your hand; then mix half tan with half moisturiser on your fingers, roll the gloves up so you have your knuckles on show and rub, rub, rub; finally, remove your gloves and get a little moisturiser and apply all over your hands to finish. Perfect (promise!)
17. If you want body and volume to your hair, apply hairspray to dry hair before you put in your rollers or other styling appliance. For best results, use a few large velcro rollers around the crown when the hair is still warm from blow-drying, then spray with hairspray and dry for five minutes with a hairdryer before allowing them to cool down and set.
18. One of my old faves which I share with every girl I meet! To avoid lipstick on your teeth, put your index finger in your mouth and draw it out slowly with your mouth closed. What you see on your finger is what would have ended up on your teeth!
19. Unsure where to apply blusher? This may sound odd, but tip your head upside down for 30 seconds or so and slowly bring it up. Wherever your cheeks are flushed is where you need to apply blusher. Apply it there and no-one will know that’s not your natural glow!
20. Want longer lashes, but don’t want to pay lots for the fancy serums on the market? Then don’t! I’m always complimented on the length of my natural lashes. My secret? Applying Vaseline every single night.
21. I’m sure you’ve all heard this one…but I have to add it to  my list because it works! Drink 1-2 litres of water every day; it clears the toxins in your skin making you look clearer, healthier and rosy.
22. Throw away cosmetics after their best before date (see the little icon with number of months written on all products).  Foundation, blusher, powder, eyeshadow and lip products tend to last 1-2 years, but mascara and eyeliners really should be used or thrown after 6 months.
23. How do you enhance your natural beauty? Well, start by listening to what people around you say to you the most (your eyes are gorgeous, you have kissable lips etc) and make sure you concentrate on them when applying make-up.
24. One of the biggest tips I can give is told daily worldwide, yet girls still make the mistake. If you apply lots of eye make-up, keep the lips basic and vice versa.
25. If your favourite nail polish is getting a bit clumpy and thick, add a few drops of nail polish remover and shake the bottle. Voila! Just like new!
26. Cinnamon is my favourite Costa coffee latte! I also love cinnamon buns as they help balance out my blood sugars. But did you know that cinnamon also has great skincare benefits? Mix some with your favorite lipgloss to turn it into a lip-plumper! Or make a face mask with 3 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon cinnamon to help dry out acne and exfoliate dull, tired skin.
27. If you run out of Benefit’s High Beam or MAC’s strobe cream and can’t wait until pay day, just use Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Although it’s a lip balm it appears to mimic these highlighting products exceptionally well.
28. Buy a bottle of Witch Hazel for under £2 which will last all year. Witch Hazel (applied with cotton wool) can help spots disappear, shrink bags under the eyes, heal bruisers, stop ingrowing hairs (apply straight after waxing or shaving) and make for a great toner for clearer skin.
29. Use your bronzer just underneath each side of your jaw bone and under the chin if you want to accentuate your jaw line and minimise the appearance of a double chin.
30. I always harp on about Vaseline but it is an under rated beauty product and is something I always keep in my bag! It has so many uses; I won’t list them all here so here are my top 5:

• Remove make-up, including waterproof eyeliner & mascara, by applying to a dry face and removing with cotton wool. No need for anything else.
• Mix with sea salts for the perfect body scrub
• Rub a small amount into your hands and gently smooth over your hair to remove any fly-aways or frizz (great as a wax replacement too!)
• Smoother your feet in it after a hot bath and place socks on straight away to leave on overnight. Your boyfriend may not think you look too hot that one night, but believe me he will luurve your soft feet the next day!
• Keep your perfume staying on longer by rubbing Vaseline on your pulse points before spraying on your scent

I hope you find these useful.

Is there any particular tip you knew about already and use regularly? Or perhaps something you can’t wait to try? Let me know x

I recently reviewed Benefit’s Magic Ink which has been great and a product I have been using everyday…until now! One evening, I was flicking through my latest copy of Look magazine when I saw a full page ad for Bobbi Brown. It caught my attention as the models eye make-up was flawless and looked totally different to anything else i’d seen advertised lately. It was natural but really dramatic with thick black eyeliner and a soft eyeshadow shade. I started to tweet BB asking questions about their eyeliner, and after an hour or so decided I wanted to try it on my next shopping trip in Leeds.

My first stop was Harvey Nichols but they didn’t stock it. I eventually found a counter at House of Fraser. I was impressed by the layout of the counter and gorgeous slick packaging. The ladies were really helpful and not too pushy.

The only product I had ever tried previously from BB was their shimmer brick, which I adored about 6 years ago. It’s one of the products I loved yet for some reason hadn’t re-purchased. I started looking through their range of longwear gel eyeliners, and was so impressed with the colour range – you normally expect to see black, brown and maybe a green or grey, but BB had a huge range including golds, metallics, purple and various shades of browns, blacks and blues. I had to try their deepest black (black ink) initially. I tried it on the back of my hand and liked what I saw – an intense colour that wouldn’t budge…as much as I tried! The sales lady suggested I bought the specific brush but at £22 I wasn’t so sure….I have a thin eyeliner brush at home and that is doing the job just perfect.

Just above the eyeliners, sat a row of longwear eyeshadows; also in a lush range of colours. I tried a couple on the back of my hand and liked how creamy they were. After about a minute they set to a slighty dryer texture and would seriously not come off! I had to try some of their make-up remover and wipes to get rid of the swatches! Naturally, I was impressed by this so I bought one to try. I opted for ‘stone’ which is almost a concealer type colour. I wanted to try something natural but not the pink or nude shades I usually wear each day.

So, the best part of shopping came….me getting home, grabbing a drink and unpacking my goodies! I took my eye make-up off so I could start to apply the new products. I applied the longwear eyeshadow with a normal eyeshadow brush. I only needed a little and it smeared on my eyelids very easily. It did try quite quickly though so make sure you’re fairly quick about the application. Then I got my eyeliner brush and gently loaded it with the gel eyeliner. It doesn’t feel very gel like or watery at all, it is very soft though upon application.

I found this the easiest eyeliner to apply! The liner glides on so smoothly and didn’t ‘catch’ on any stray eyelashes or dry areas of your eyelids. I managed to apply in one swoop without any mistakes. It can be layered up if you want to acheive a thicker, fuller line or add a swoop or flick towards the end of the day!

The proper test was a normal day and evening at work. So, I applied both products at about 07:30am….I checked on the products at lunchtime and I was shocked to see nothing had moved or faded; not one little bit! Surely there would be some fade or movement at the end of my day at 6pm? Nope. Not a thing! My eye make-up looked so fresh, I didn’t need to apply it for the rest of the evening on my way out.

I am so impressed! I love these longwear products. I now have the eyeliners in Black Ink (darkest black) and Expresso Ink (a deep brown) and the eyeshadows in Stone (a yellow based skin tone) and Gold Stone (a metallic gold, with stone undertones).

These will be my new pay day treats! Loving BB! x

I’ve been suffering from hormonal acne for weeks now since coming off Yasmin. It’s been so upsetting I’ve contemplating going back on the pill, but I feel so much better health-wise that it’s just not worth it.

Unfortunately, the Liz Earle range I recently tested brought me out in inflammed pimples. My contacts there were so considerate and helpful though and advised me what to do to help my skin and understand which of their products was having this effect.

I stopped all Liz Earle products and planned to wash my face with cold water and a muslin cloth and nothing else. Until I had a chat with my mother-in-law (to be!). Mrs Lubomski told me how she has removed her make-up for years using Vaseline and cotton wool pads – nothing else. I wasn’t sure at first; your gut reaction is that Vaseline is oily and would only worsen the spots I had. I was so desperate though, I thought i’d give it a go. So, off to the bathroom we went…

I scooped a good dollop of Vaseline and rubbed between my fingertips, then started to massage onto dry skin over my make-up. It felt kind of relaxing and I think the massaging effect soothed the sore skin too. After a good rub, I used two cotton wool pads and gently wiped the make-up off my face. In total, it took 3 goes at this before my skin was squeaky clean. This is because the make-up I wear is meant to last hours and I wanted to make sure that not one ounce of dirt was left on my face.

My skin felt amazing straight away…Both boyf and Ma Lubomski agreed! My skin felt really moisturised but not at all greasy. The fine lines I had on my forehead and under my eyes were also immediately less prominent. And more importantly, the pimples seemed calmer.

I’m about 2 weeks into this new routine, and although I still have two or three spots, it’s nothing in comparison to what I had before.

I’d recommend this skincare routine to you all to try! A huge tub cost me just over £1 in Boots. It’s also great for the night’s where you’re too tired to remove your make-up, because all you need do is sit in bed, smoother your face in Vaseline and wipe it off. Done.

Try this little beauty secret today! Oh, and Vaseline…you should promote this more; I am amazed at the results x

First of all, the oils look fantastic in the bathroom with their natural colours, tiny glass bottles and gold caps. The collection contains oils to suit any mood – you have ones to de-stress and soothe as well as a couple to revive and support you.

They say that each 3ml bottle is to be used per bath, but I have found I only need a drop or two per bath, meaning I will be able to get many weeks out of these little beauties. I find the fragrance is so strong I don’t need much anyway, and with my sensitive skin I wouldn’t want to put the whole bottle in to one bath.

The set (£28.50) includes a range of oils suited to your mood:

• RELAX
  Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil (3ml) & Light Relax Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)

• DE-STRESS
  Mind Bath & Shower Oil (3ml) & Muscle Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)

• REVIVE
  Morning Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)& Evening Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)

• RESCUE
  Lavender & Peppermint Bath & Shower Oil (3ml), Breath Bath & Shower Oil (3ml) & Equilibrium Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)

I just love that I have the whole collection and a choice of oils to suit whatever mood i’m in which – like most girls – differs everyday! Some days I feel I need a morning revive bath while others I need de-stress bath at the end of a long day. The scents helped my whole body unwind and relax for sure. I think my favourites however are the support/rescue ones – in particular the equilibrium oil which seems to make me feel completely balanced and happy after a half hour soak!

I would highly recommend these; especially the mini set for under £30 which I think is great value for every day at home spa treatments (or at least that’s what it feels like!)

I may do a little video review on these as it isn’t getting across in writing how amazing these products actually are!

After recently visiting the MAC counter at Harvey Nichols, Leeds I discovered I am a NW20 which is opposite to what I thought I was (warm tone).

The photo below shows the two Revlon shades which are cool and neutral (top and right) compaed to the MAC NW20 (bottom left).

You can see that the MAC shade has a slightly warmer feel to it, but is almost a mix of the two – so I don’t feel I have been too far away from the perfect shade.

My advice to you when choosing your base, is to speak to an expert – go to a MAC counter or make-up assistant in your nearest Boots. I tried the colours on the back of my hand, which is a good place to start, but the colour here is so different to your face; don’t base your decision on that alone. Once you’ve found a shade you are reasonably comfortable with, place a streak on your jaw line heading towards your neck. The pefect shade will blend in perfectly. I’d then recommend you take a mirror compact and check the shade out in natural daylight – you will be so suprised at how different the colour looks compared to artificial light.

Take a photo of the colours you are wearing using your iPhone and see which you feel looks most natural there, if you are finding it difficult using a mirror.

Good luck….if you do want any advice in the meantime, please ask and I will be happy to help xoxo

]]> http://www.slstevo.com/2011/07/testing-your-shades/feed/ 1 http://www.slstevo.com/2011/06/lumie-clear-helping-real-girls-interview/ http://www.slstevo.com/2011/06/lumie-clear-helping-real-girls-interview/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:12:10 +0000 Sarah Louise Stevenson http://www.slstevo.com/?p=1559 I have been using the Lumie Clear for over 4 weeks now, as part of a 12 week trial. The aim of the trial is to gain a glowing, clear complexion and ultimately cure the hormonal acne I have suffered with this year.

Halfway through the trial, I was contacted by a girl named Nina via Facebook. Nina had seen my videos on www.YouTube.com/SLStevo and wanted some advice about acne, skincare and of course the amazing new product from Lumie.

Nina now uses the Lumie Clear product and I caught up with her last week to talk about her skin, symptoms and what she finds helps.

Hi Nina, can you please introduce yourself so we can get to know a little bit about you?

Hi everyone im Nina, im 16 and have had acne for over 3 years now. My skin is quite strange, in the sense that i dont have that many actual spots (at the moment) but have these sort of red bumpy dots all over both cheeks, forehead and chin. I have started a new school this september and i didnt settle in straight away, this caused my skin to get really bad again (it had improved when i was on holiday in the summer), i think it was a mixture of the stress of school and increase on makeup. Im studying Biology, business studies, photography and psychology and i am plnning to study biology at university.

How long have you suffered from acne?

I can’t exactly remeber when my skin got realy bad, but i started off with a few spots here and there, the marks never really faded making my face look blotchy and disgusting. But i think i have suffered from actual acne for just over 3 years now, although it seems like forever if im honest! Both my older brothers had bad skin, so i was expecting it, but being a girl and being a person who cares what others think of them, i am really stuggling with my confidence and self esteem.

How does your acne make you feel?

Horrible! Acne has really affected my confidence and self esteem. When i dont wear much makeup at school i will walk around looking at the floor with my head down, also in lessons, i usually ask quite a few questions, however if my skins bad i keep them to myself because i dont wnt to draw attention to myself. Sometimes i dont go out because my skin makes me feel so ugly and its sods law that most of my friends have amazing skin!

What treatments have you tried so far?

EVERYTHING! i have been to see my doctor more times than i can remember and have been prescribed lots of pills and creams and gels. These include contraceptive pills (Dianette and yasmin), zindaclin gel, betamethasone valerate cream, acnamino capsules, various antibiotics and more.  The doctor also set up an appointment with a dermatologist who gave me Retin A (which made my skin really red, dry and irritated) and my doctor has now booked another appointment with the dermatologist. These medical treatments may have made a few minor differences, but nothing significant. I also wasted time and money in chinese medicine, which made no difference. My mum has bought so many expensive acne treatments and skin care products from stores like Boots. I went through a phase on constantly googleing and researching any home remedies or skincare tips.

Where did you hear about Lumie Clear?

I saw an advert in LOOK magazine, anything to do with treating acne always catches my eye, so i looked up the website and did some research. i also looked up some videos on youtube and at the time i was looking there was only about 3, however now theres many more!

How did SLStevo help you?

One of the very earliest Lumie Clear videos was one of SLStevo’s, which i found really usful  because she seemed to be very honest and complementary and critical where needs be. Her blogs also helped me because they were detailed and informitive.

Will you continue to check SLStevo’s blog and video diaries until her trial is up?

I will continue to use Lumie Clear because i undertand the results are slow and require time. And of course check this blog out! I am very interested to compare SLStevo’s Lumie Clear journey with my own and once i watched her first youtube video i was hooked and was genuinly intreiged to she how she got on with the product. I also picked up some usful tips, for exmaple i was initially doing a 15 minute treatment on my whole face, doing around 5 minutes on each cheek and a couple of minutes on my chin and forhead, however after rewatching her second video i learned that Lumie advised consumers to treat the problem areas with 15 minutes on each area- a tip which should definately speed up the process for me!  I would advise anyone considering buying Lumie Clear to watch all SLStevo’s videos and do as much research on the product as possible- which is what i did.

Would you recommend using light therapy to others?

It’s difficult to say without hearing each persons own story and skin problem, however acne made me desperate to find any cure or preventitive. Although expensive, I knew if i didnt buy Lumie Clear there would have always been a voice in my head saying that Lumie could have worked wonders for skin. I have had the product for nearly 4 weeks now and dont regret buying it, i havent seen any major improvements yet, but people have told me my skin is getting better, i would also advise buyers to take a photo of there own skin every week, therefore you have an honest comparison each week and you can judge for yourself.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and you found it useful. If anyone has any questions, please leave them by clicking on the comments link.

Thanks

I’ve tried so, so many tans over the years and do have my favourites for different occasions and times of the year, but this new found gem is something I will be using week in week out throughout each and every year, for sure!

So, I started this week with an awful cold and looked particularly terrible on Tuesday night. You know the look; sore, dry nose, dull skin, spots from nasty cold sweats and red eyes. I had a lush bath after my tea and decided there had never been a more perfect time to try Xen Tan dark lotion for the first time.

The first thing I did, as with all new products, was take the lid off and have a good old sniff! Wow, this was the sweetest, non fake tan smelling product ever…I didn’t even think non biscuit smelling tans existed! The smell reminds me of Dr. Pepper….sweet almonds, cherries and a hint of vanilla. All my favourite scents. Yum.

Now, I usually apply fake tan with gloves but I couldn’t find any so opted for the next best thing which actually turned out to be one of the reasons for the excellent results; a make up sponge. I bought a pack of 20 make up sponges in the shape of wedges from Poundland the other week, which are surprisingly great quality. I find I can use these around 10 times (washing them after each use) before throwing away due to crumbling of the sponge. My face was clean and completely dry. I pumped a small blob of tan onto the sponge and started to apply this as I would foundation, starting on the forehead and working my way from centre out. I applied quite a thin layer all over my face and neck and found it very easy to use, as the lotion was so dark. I then started to add more bit by bit where I felt I needed it most, such as around the eyes, nose, cheeks and forehead.

The smell was really nice once on my skin too and it didn’t feel tacky at all, which I find most tans do straight after applying. I had a few spots on my chin, which looked darker with the tan, however I was reluctant to remove the product from my spots with a cotton bud as I normally do as wanted to see what the effects were.

I was so tired I went straight to bed, failing to remember I had just put fresh, clean, white bedlinen on (oops!) I awoke the next day and looked a million times better than I felt – the cold had really taken it’s toll! After I washed my face, I was amazed at the results (I didn’t look poorly at all!) and the quality of my skin was so different to any other fake tan product. It wasn’t dry at all and felt refreshed and glowing.

This is now not only my favourite fake tan but my favourite beauty product for all the added benefits it gives me.

I’d love to try the face only version now, as well as the dark spray. Have you tried this?

Here you will find my unwanted impulse buys and products sent for review that have been used once or twice, as well as duplicate items I have at the moment. Items include make-up, skincare, hair products and lots of clothes & accessories! (even the odd homeware product!)

All have been used or worn only a few times (some not at all!) and are available to you at a fraction of the original price. UK P&P is £2.50 (see T&C’s below).

Check back regularly to see new items added! This isn’t a one off sale – enjoy & happy shopping! x

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