Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection Review- The Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer, The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk and The Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment

If you have been following my blog since I started years ago. You'd know that I initially was doing a relaxed-hair healthy hair journey. At this stage I loved going to the afro hair care store and testing new products. One of the products I tested and reviewed on my blog (read here) were the Curls Coconut Sublime Conditioner, Curls Curl Souffle and the Curlicious Curls- Cleansing Cream. These were all amazing and smelled like a mix of Coconut and Caramel. For the time it was, I found them to be very innovative with products like the cleansing cream, years before the Co-wash trend kicked off and brands started to realise.

Now onto the new products. They are all new additions to the Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection and consist of a spray hair moisturiser, moisturising milk and scalp oil. All of them have the same scent which I supposed is supposed to be a "blueberry scent"- I love the scent personally but I think they more so smell of sweets or sort of fruity! In my review below, please find direct links to the products within each product title. Here you can view the full ingredient lists.

The Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer, $13

Description:"Refresh, revive, and rejuvenate 2nd day curls with pure aloe and blueberries. Formulated with certified organic aloe leaf juice (strengthens hair, adds shine, combats frizz) and blueberry extract (repairs damage, prevents breakage, encourages hair growth). NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

First off is the Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer which comes in a spray bottle. In addition to moisturising and refreshing your hair I find it to be a good detangler. I currently only wash my hair bi-weekly, so I've used these products as a weekly refresher. I used this spray to re-wet and re-moisturise as well as to detangle it. The ingredient list doesn't disappoint with the second ingredient after water being Aloe Vera Leaf Juice followed by Glycerin.

The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk, $15

Description: "Blueberry & Coconut Hair Milk, formulated with certified organic coconut milk and blueberry extract guaranteed to moisturize the driest curl, condition overworked tresses and encourage hair growth all in one step! NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

The second product I tried out was the The Blueberry and Coconut Hair Milk. Just like the other products, it smells like sweets and I used it as the next step after the Aloe and Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer. It is very moisturising but quite light weight. If you have looser curls, these two products might be good for using just after washing your hair. I personally would use products like this to re-moisturise my hair as I need a thicker/creamier product straight after washing my hair.

The Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment, $12

Description: "Formulated with certified organic blueberry seed oil, corn mint and coconut oil proven to enhance hair growth, soothe and refresh dry, itchy scalp, and relieve itching. NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, or fragrances."

Last but not least, the Blueberry and Mint Tea Scalp Treatment. The oil comes in a dark glass bottle, which is the best way to store oils as it prevents them from oxidising. Inside there is a actually a dropper, something I haven't seen before for a hair oil. But when using it, it was actually very useful as it's very long and reaches your scalp easily. The only problem with the dropper is that it can spill quite a bit, which is a little bit annoying. Not everyone uses scalp oils but I am personally an avid user of them as I want to prevent scalp dryness and flakiness after shampooing and I always put peppermint oil in my oils mixes to give that tingling/soothing feeling (check out my blog posts on DIY oil mix here). I have tried quite a few scalp oils to review in the past and this is the first one that has actually replaced my home made mix. It is super light, smells of fruits mixed with mint, it gives the tingling feeling that I love as it contains Menthol (a constituent in Peppermint essential oil).

The products are available to buy at www.curls.biz and I have linked each product in the title if you want to have a look and see the full ingredient lists.

Overall I really enjoyed using this range. I am so impressed by the scalp oil- I actually haven't used my own scalp oil mix since I got it. The products all smell yummy and worked really well to re-moisturise my hair. As I mentioned previously, I would recommend these as main moisturisers for looser curls or as a refresher-re-moisturiser for tighter curl types like my own.

Have you tried this range, or the Curls brand in general?

xx

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24K Bio-Gold Capsule Collection- Gold Water, Day Cream, Day Cleanser

As you can see, I am trying something slightly different and very exciting- skin care products containing colloidal gold. To be more specific, they contain 24k gold, are by a company called Bio-Essence and are now available at Superdrug. I have linked each product (in their title) to where you can buy them and read their full ingredient lists.

So why would you use gold on your face? 

Now, oddly enough there isn't much information on the brand's website, nor on Superdrug's website on the actual benefits on colloidal gold in skin care.  From my own research I have found that colloidal gold is supposed to be anti-inflammatory with antioxidant properties. To find out if these benefits are real you really have to try for yourself! I definitely believe the benefits of gold are real- even the ancient Egyptians were convinced and used to wear gold and bury their loved ones with gold as they believed they possessed unsuspected healing powers..

Bio Essence 24K Gold Water, £16.99

Description: "Intensive Nourishment & Treatment Power of an Essence + Light-Weight Texture Of Water; 24K Bio-Gold is so light-weight that it allows another layer of additional toner, without leaving any burden on skin." 

This product slightly differs from your every day- it comes in a luxurious glass bottle and there cannot be squeezed out but rather "poured" out of a small hole. I read a few other reviews which mentioned that they did not like this and found it hard to dispense the product. Personally,  I didn't find it an issue. The consistency is gel-like and the hole at the top was a perfect size to pour product onto a cotton pad to use. You will see actual gold flakes in the product and might even spot some on your face- however once you have worked the product in they sort of disappear. The formulation is very non-drying and if you have oily skin you might not have to apply any moisturiser after using this.

As you can see, there are loads of gold flakes in the toner and they look absolutely amazing. Using these in the morning and evening feels great and they look so good in my bathroom cabinet.

Bio Essence 24K Gold Day Cleanser, £6.99

Description: "24K Bio-Gold Skin Awakening Day Cleanser lathers into rich, fine foam which cleanses thoroughly to reveal clean and supple skin without dryness. Unique formulation with 24K Bio-Gold, Bio Mineral Amino Acid, Bio Rice Fermentation Essence and precious herbal extracts, is rich in anti-oxidants to help skin fight against free radicals, protecting skin from premature ageing and promotes radiance from within."

This is my favourite out of the three! I'd say it is a cream cleanser, but not the cream cleanser that doesn't foam and you wipe it off. This cleanser foams as it comes in contact with water and forms a creamy lather. When I first tried it, it really reminded me of the Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap as it leaves that soap- film feeling on the skin when used (which is not a problem, just an observation). I did have a look at the ingredient list of the Clinique facial soap and the products have fairly similar top ingredients, so if you like the Clinique cleanser- I am sure you'd like this one. When you're wearing makeup there is no need for any additional steps before using the cleanser, just rub it into your hands with water and massage into your face and all your makeup literally melts away. I have used this when wearing a full face of makeup, including liquid eyeliner that does not budge at all during the day and it all comes off with one wash. This is a huge plus for me as I never really used nor liked those makeup or eye makeup removers.  

Bio Essence 24K Gold Day Cream, £15.95

Description: "Bio-essence 24K Bio-Gold Day Cream SPF25 awakens your skin and protects it right from the start of the day. With high anti-oxidant power, 24K Bio-Gold is rapidly absorbed by face and neck to fight free radicals; Non-greasy formula glides on easily for superior hydrating and moisturising effects; Protects and maintains skin’s radiance in the day."

I definitely don't shy away from using cheaper beauty products, especially not when it comes to moisturisers. But you know that feel a more high end face cream can have to it? That's exactly what I noticed when I tried this. It is a light feeling cream with gold flakes in it, but when applied onto the skin it feels very luxurious and rich, it feels like an expensive cream (and it kind of is). I am sure we all by now the benefits of using SPF in your creams daily, it protects against sun damage which can cause wrinkles and also protects against hyper-pigmentation. Despite this many day creams use an SPF amount considered ineffective, like SPF 15- I like that this cream has a higher SPF which will provide longer lasting protection against sun damage. If you are in an extremely sunny country I would suggest reapplying throughout the day or using a cream with higher SPF.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed using this product range. The formulations are great and they all feel like high quality products and also- they all look amazing! If you are into "natural" ingredients then this might not be the range for you as they do contain ingredients like Mineral Oil, Butylene Glycol and TEA amongst others (they also contain a lot of ingredients like natural extracts). If you are interested in reading the full ingredient lists please click on the links in the titles.

Let me know what you think about colloidal gold in skin care and if you have tried it?

xx



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Tropic Skin Care Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum, Sun Balm SPF 50, Tinted Skin Shade Facial Sun Protection and Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash

Very excited to review these amazing skin care products from Tropic Skincare. Tropic skin care offers high quality skin care products which are all Vegan and Cruelty free. All of their products are free from Parabens, SLS and SLES, Petrochemicals and more (see all here). It was founded by Susan Ma who appeared on the Apprentice in 2011 and has received a 50/50 partnership from Lord Sugar.

I think most bloggers (and anyone else that has ordered online) can agree that it's a really nice surprise when a company makes that extra effort with your parcel. As you can see, along with my products I received biscuits, a to-do note pad, a pen, tea and a makeup bag- which was lovely.



Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum, £42



The first product is the Tropic Good Skin Day Resurfacing Serum. This is a a restorative serum that "resurfaces the top layer of skin to reveal a brighter, more youthful looking complexion overnight". The key ingredients in this are Lime Pearl Extract, Glycolic Acid, Willow Bark, Papaya Enzymes and Hyaluronic Acid. As my skin has been very problematic lately, this has been a great help. Acids chemically exfoliate your skin so essentially it helps you get rid of old skin quicker. If my skin has been bad and is on the way to clearing up- this seems to speed up the process. It would also work if you have Acne scarring for example or hyper pigmentation. My skin is normal/dry and a tip is to first apply an oil around the driest parts of your skin (nose or sides of nose, around eyebrows and around mouth) and then apply the serum to the rest of your skin. Use this product 1-3 times per week, less if your skin is sensitive or dry. Also- remember to use sunscreen during the day after using acids on your skin as they make your skin more photosensitive.

Sun Balm SPF 50, £16



Next up is Tropic Sun Balm SPF 50, described as "A highly effective facial sunscreen balm for those areas of the skin prone to burning". Unfortunately I have not been abroad since receiving these products and thus not able to try it out that much. If you're on holiday somewhere where it's extremely sunny (or if you are of lighter skin tones and are more prone to sun burn) you can apply this to areas like nose, lips shoulders or any part which might burn quicker. During the heatwave a month ago or so, I was using this on my tattoos when sunbathing to prevent fading. I love this product and I'd say it's quite unique- I haven't seen many sun balms like this in the shops and definitely not one that mainly consists of natural ingredients.

Tinted Skin Shade Facial Sun Protection, £24

This one is another product which really impressed me- Tropic Skin Care Tinted Skin Shade Mineral Facial Sun Protection SPF 50. I'd say being black you'd definitely be sceptical when it comes to any form of tinted cream. In my experience, if they are dark enough they tend to have a way too red undertone making you look orange. I was so pleasantly surprised when I first tried this and saw that it was an exact match to my skin tone. It's quite rich, but blends amazingly and I would even say it gives quite a bit of coverage as well. Another thing worth mentioning is that this formula includes the physical sunblock Zinc Oxide. This is common in more natural sunscreen formulas and it is very effective- however it is known to leave a white cast. The fact that it didn't leave a white cast even on brown skin was pretty impressive.

Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash, £10



The last product is the Tropic Skin Care Mangosteen, Thyme and Mandarin Body Wash. This one was actually recommended to me and it definitely didn't disappointed. Sulfate free body washes can sometimes be a bit to runny and also they might not foam as much as a "regular" body wash. I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only was it a creamy body wash but it was also foaming quite a lot! Thoroughly enjoyed this and I have unfortunately already finished it.

Overall I was very impressed by all of these products as the quality was amazing.

Have you tried any of these?

xx

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How to get (booty) gains after a gym- plateau

This post is aimed specifically at people who have been going gym for a while and feel like their muscle gains or just strength increase have become stagnant. If you are just starting out at the gym, all of these points will still be applicable and would also work as good starter advice. I am writing from my own experience and things I try to keep in mind in order to keep me motivated to go gym, increase and push harder. As my gym goals are currently focused on lower body- I am focusing on Booty gains, however these tips would be applicable to other types of gains too.

 Set goals

Setting goals will give you direction, keep you motivated and driven as you are working towards something. Think of a mixture of long term goals like; become more healthy, increase stamina and lose or gain weight as well as shorter more specific goals to keep you motivated, like; train x amount per week, do two leg days per week, do abs every other day, squat 50 kg by August. When setting goals it's important to be realistic and not setting yourself up for failure. If you currently go gym once or twice per week, don't get carried away and set a goal of gymming four to five times per week. Instead, set a goal of two or three. As this goal is easier to achieve, chances are that you do achieve it- and the sense of accomplishment when doing so will encourage you to carry on and do better. If you always set goals that are too ambitious, you could end up failing- which will just make you feel discouraged. Writing down your goals is important, there is something about taking the time to write down your goals and then being able to either tick a box/circle or cross them out once you achieved them! 

 Track and write down gym routines 

This is one of the more recent things I have started to do. When I was gymming on and off years ago I used to write down all my gym sessions in an app, it was tedious and didn't allow full control over how and what I wrote as it had to be typed into the app. I then tried just writing down work outs casually in my notes, something I also got tired of eventually. So this time around I spent some time thinking about what would be the best way to write down my routines. At first I was thinking note book, but the OCD in me did not like that. I wanted something more organised so I went for a day planner. There's a whole page for you to write your exercise and it's easy to go back and see the exact date of the work out. This also allows space to add comments. I add comments like "increased" or "gave good glute-burn" or anything else that's notable. If your memory is bad like mine, or you are forgetful, make sure you write down the exact routine and weights used in your phone while at the gym so that you can transfer this information into your day planner afterwards. This has helped me a lot- I can go back and look at specific comments about work outs and analyse what made a work out more or less effective. I am trying to increase weights for a few exercises, so I can go back and see how long have I been doing a specific weight or how long did I do the previous weight before increasing. 

 New gym clothes/equipment

  Get some new gym wear as motivation. How you want to do this is entirely up to you. I am sure that you have heard the advice that new gym clothes will motivate you to go gym. This is especially common with people who are just starting out, they feel motivated, buy a ton of gym clothes and think that alone will keep them motivated enough to consistently go to the gym. If this works for you, please do it this way! However, my tip is to set specific goals (as mentioned above) and then gift yourself once a goal is reached. If you're goal is to squat 100kg, note down the treat you will give yourself once you achieve this. Now you can squat heavier and you can keep increasing while looking good in your new gym gear. Brands like Fabletics offer gym wear that works well but is also stylish, which will have you feeling and looking great in the gym!

Switch up your routine

By switch up your routine I don't necessarily mean the usual "change up your exercises" (although this could be beneficial too). I am referring to changing up your reps and sets or even the way you train. Although I have been training for a few years consistently, I am not a PT or a professional so I will not list specific set and reps combos, however I will say play about with pyramid sets, drop sets, super sets and tri sets. Explanations and examples of these can be found on most bodybuilding websites. You can also try out different forms of exercises (I am personally Not good at this). If you always train at the gym, try doing classes or working out outdoors or even playing a sport.

Don't blindly trust Instagram

Now don't get me wrong, there is plenty of good advice and serious trainers on Instagram and other online platforms. However, there are a lot of people who don't necessarily know what they're are doing, but they are still giving advice. This is not a dig at them and it also isn't to say don't take their advice- but just take everything you see online with a grain of salt as there are so many different opinions and advice out there that it can get overwhelming. You can of course browse Instagram for new exercises but make sure that you double check everything you see with trustworthy sources.

Since tracking my routines and regularly increasing weights I have definitely seen some gains, but I am always looking to improve my routines in order to achieve even better results and of course, enjoy my training even more. In the past, I would do 3 gym days per week. Most would agree this is too much, so I changed to 2 days per week. This has worked fine, but with 2 days a week (not on set days) there is a possibility that one week you might do Monday and Thursday one week, and then next week you could technically do Thursday and Sunday- leaving a whole week between two leg days. This definitely will not help your gains as your training is not very regular. Therefor I have this week switched my leg day routine up to every 3 days. Every three days technically is 3 days a week (some weeks, if you are doing Monday, Thursday, Sunday) but the following week it would be Wednesday and Saturday which is 2 days in one week. I would definitely recommend planning your leg days this way as you're training consistently which in turn will help you increase weights consistently.

What do you do when your training hits a plateau?
Have you tried any of these tips?

xx


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MontBleu Glass Files Review- Glass Foot File, Zodiac Nail File, Tweezers, Glass Cuticle Stick

Hi Everyone!

Today I have some really excited products to review- glass nail files and nail tools from Mont Bleu. These are all available at https://www.design-glassware.com and I was kindly sent them to review for my blog. Now I have been blogging for many years and if you have been a follower of my blog during my first years of blogging you would remember that I mainly wrote about nail care and nail varnishes. You can see all of my posts about nail care here.

I have to admit it has been a while since I posted any nail related posts and that is why I am so excited to share these products. As of a few years back, I have only used glass nail files anyway. The first one I tried was from Superdrug or Boots, then I bought one in Sweden and the last one before these was from Primark I believe. What I like about glass nail files is mainly that they're not disposable like the emery board files- they can last for a long time and you can easily clean them. All of the ones I've tried previously actually broke in the end so that kind of defeats the purpose.

My Mont Bleu files have all lasted so far- and in all honesty I've had them for quite some time as my review is a little delayed due to a hectic University schedule. So I can definitely say they are of great quality and the best quality I have tried so far. Oh and lastly- they all come in convenient and nice cases as you can see.

I received a generous package containing all of the nail tools above. I believe I mentioned I like purple (my favourite colour) and that I'd like the Pisces nail file and as you can see I received loads more.

Here is what I thought about each of these nail tools:

Glass Foot File, €16 "Glass foot files and callus removers. Scrapers from Mont Bleu will gently remove hard skin and calluses, without any damage to the underlying skin and no danger of cuts or bleeding. The perfect alternative to your old pumice stone and metal scraper, glass scrapers are very durable and extremely hygienic. "

Before I was sent this product I didn't even know there were glass foot files. As you can see- it's made out of thick glass with the top part being the "handle" part and the top, clear part being the file part. I believe one side is more rough than the other but neither side actually feels rough. The result with this was actually amazing! I have previously tried Pumice stones and regular foot files and even thought they can remove skin they can sometimes leave your skin feeling a little rough- the opposite to what you want. With this file my heels are super soft every time I've used it, and I also feel like I have to use it less often than I would if I used a regular foot file or pumice stone. This is actually one of my favourite tools out of the ones I tried and I would purchase this myself if it ever breaks (which I doubt it would).

Pisces Zodiac Nail File, €10: "Zodiac sign glass nail file “Pisces” made with SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS. File is 135mm/5.32 inches long and supplied in velvet sleeve."

3-piece Nail File Set with Crystals for Women, €27: "Set of 3 glass nail files “Comet Color” in 6 charming color variations, made with Swarovski crystals. The set includes large (195 mm/7.68 in), medium (135 mm/5.32 in) and small (90 mm/3.54 in) crystal nail files."

As I have 5 different nail files, I am not going to review them all separately. The three matching ones which are purple and pink in different sizes are part of this 3-piece set. They have a ton of different combinations, I have looked through them all on the website. As with all of the tools I receive the quality is amazing and I personally think these would make perfect gifts, and so would the Zodiac nail file that you can also see in the picture. The medium sized one is standard size just to give you a reference. The smallest one would be suitable in a small makeup bag, for travel or  to keep in your hand bag- the large one I actually haven't used so far as I tend to reach for the standard size one- but this could work well for Pedicures!

Glass Nail File in Hard Case, €9: "Glass nail file in hard plastic case for extra damage resistance, 125mm/4.92 inches long; Purple color. Czech made glass nail file." 

I love this one! I haven't actually seen this design anywhere else and to be honest I wouldn't have thought of it either. Glass files are great but they can be a little bit sharp and even though they are of good quality- they are glass and could break if they were damaged somehow. That's why I love this one as it has an actually case to protect it- making it perfect to keep in your handbag! I used to always try to have a nail file in my hand bag before, I don't even carry makeup in my bag or anything but I often find myself needing a nail file which is why I've kept this one in my handbag ever since I got it. Also great to bring if you're travelling! I can confirm it does get through air port checks if you want to bring it as hand luggage.

Slanted Tweezers, €4.99: "Slanted tweezers for shaping eyebrow hair, made of stainless steel, purple silicon covered for easy holding"

I am definitely a Tweezer person- I have always done my own eyebrows, by plucking with a Tweezer and I have to admit Tweezers can be a bit of a hit or miss. I like the fact that this comes with a case and of course that it is purple, however I can't say it's the best Tweezer I have ever tried in terms of grabbing small eyebrow hairs so I find myself reaching more for my other Tweezer. I tend to bring this one with me when I travel though as it's still decent.

Dual-end glass cuticle pusher for manicure and pedicure, €5.49: "Dual-end cuticle pusher made of glass. Achieve healthy looking nails in minutes with perfectly designed glass cuticle pusher. Length 92 mm / 3.62", Diameter 7 mm / 0.28"."

Here is another favourite of mine and really impressive product! I always use the wooden cuticle sticks so this type of product was definitely new to me. It was hard to get a really clear close up pictures of this one with my camera, one end is the sharp end to clean under your nails and the other is the actually cuticle "pusher". They are both of actual file material so I am a little cautious using this under my nails to clean them as I would with a wooden one. I tend to use this more to push cuticles down- the facts that it is a file material makes it more effective than a wooden cuticle stick to push down cuticles without leaving any "residue" behind.

Overall I loved these products as I am sure you can tell and I would definitely recommend that you visit their website which I linked in the beginning of their post or check out their social media accounts which are linked here: Twitter Pinterest Facebook Google+

Do you use glass nail files and how do you like them?
Have you ever seen or tried a glass foot file?

xx

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