Access All Areas? Exploring Accessibility at The Trafford Centre

Welcome back

Today, I have an Accessible Adventures post where I review a venue/place I have visited and let you know about my experience as an ambulatory wheelchair user and a full-time mobility aid user. 

The Trafford Centre is a go-to spot for shopping, dining, and some entertainment in Manchester, but how does it fare regarding accessibility? I recently visited to see how easy it is for those of us with different mobility needs to get around.

The Trafford Centre ( Image Source - Google)

If you haven't read my initial post about this series, you can find it HERE, in that post, I explain more about my needs and a bit more about me and this series. 

A Little Bit Of Info:

Due to suffering from serious and incurable medical conditions and the side effects of those,  I am an ambulatory wheelchair user, which means I can walk but only very short distances. I use a crutch full-time, and as well as carers, I have adaptations and equipment in my home to help me. When I am out and about, my daughter or my partner pushes my wheelchair for me. My wheelchair is the self-propelled type, but unfortunately, I cannot self-propel, when I saw Wheelchair Services regarding which was best, they explained that the self-propelled style of wheelchair is much easier for the person pushing to push. 

Despite living in the Manchester area, the Trafford Centre isn't somewhere I have visited too often, but over the last couple of years, I have been a handful of times. When I do visit, it is purely to go to the shops,  and if I have something to eat, it will be within one of the shop's cafe areas or maybe a coffee shop, so I cannot comment on the food court or entertainment areas in regards to accessibility I'm afraid.  

My Visit:

My daughter Alicia and I were visiting the Trafford Centre on a Sunday, we got there at 11.30am, the Trafford Centre shopping times on Sundays are 12pm - 6.00pm, but you can browse for an hour or so beforehand. I have visited the Trafford Centre before, but this post is based on that visit. We always make a list and plan our visit when we're going out, especially to a shopping centre we've been to, so Alicia can plan a route, as she is pushing my chair. 

Parking:

We parked at M&S as we needed to pick some bits up from the food hall there and knew we'd do that last, so it would be the best place to park. Considering the size of the car park in that area, there aren't enough disabled car parking spaces, possibly 12 at most when considering the car park is huge, it really is poor. We couldn't get a disabled parking space and had to park 4 rows back from the disabled spaces which was really inconvenient, luckily the space at the side of us was free so Alicia was able to bring my wheelchair to the door but this would have been impossible, should that space have been taken. 

The Shops:  

When we go to the Trafford Centre, we have a route planned. We look around the bottom-floor shops first, usually having lunch at John Lewis, and then we go to Primark, which is in another part of the centre. Then, we go to the upstairs shops. 

As always, we went to the shops we wanted to go to on the bottom floor. It was very busy as it was a Sunday, and something I have learned since being a wheelchair user is that the general public can be extremely rude with no regard for anyone other than themselves. Alicia and I spend most of our time shouting, "Excuse me". 

Most of the shops on the bottom floor are accessible enough for Alicia to push me around without much of an issue. Some are a little snug but still ok, to be honest, the main issue is other people and having no manners. 

Fitting Rooms:

On our visit, we used the fitting rooms in 3 shops, Marks and Spencer, River Island and Primark, only Primark had an accessible fitting room free (more on Primark later) in both River Island and M&S, they were taken. We were only waiting for a minute, and then the lady using the fitting room in River Island had finished, so it wasn't too bad however, for a disabled/accessible fitting room, it was on the small side, and Alicia struggled to navigate me getting in and out and whilst inside to allow room for trying on the clothes. 

In M&S, the disabled fitting room was taken. There is only one disabled fitting room, but there are a lot of non-disabled ones which are bigger than standard fitting rooms but not huge by any means. I was frustrated as every single time we have needed to use the fitting room in M&S, the disabled one is taken. This time there were 3 ladies, all friends wanting to try on together, the gentleman at the entrance to the fitting room explained that the disabled one was taken and he wasn't able to stop people using it who weren't using a wheelchair. One of the ladies heard and opened the door of the fitting room and said, rather snarkily "Do you want us to step outside for a minute so you can use it"? I wanted to retort with "No thank you, I'd like you to take 3 fitting rooms next to each other and come out and show each other your items" but I didn't, I just said "No thank you"  

Why she needed to be snarky, I'll never know, they were the ones using facilities they clearly didn't need. I didn't want them to "step outside for a minute" so we would feel we had to rush, I honestly couldn't understand why they didn't move into 3 separate fitting rooms. We used one of the others, and whilst Alicia did get my chair into the fitting room, it was a struggle, and we were left with very little room, there was no room to turn round, just look in the small side mirror. Luckily, we only had a couple of jackets each, and Alicia had a pair of jeans, so it wasn't too bad, but it would have been so much easier using the disabled fitting room. 

Lifts:

There are quite a few shops with lifts and there are also lifts in the Trafford Centre too, so the lift access is quite good and we didn't have any issues. 

Dining:

As I said, usually we go to John Lewis for our lunch, the store is quite easy for Alicia to push me around in and they have lift access too and disabled toilets. The cafe is on the upper floor, and the lifts are towards the back of the shop which they often are in shops but it wasn't an issue, we found the lifts and then made our way to the cafe. When we got there, there was a member of staff at the entrance of the cafe and she explained that the cafe was closed due to them having no water. 

She said the toilets were available to use, but then told us the nearest toilets were in Starbucks just down the way on the right-hand side of the centre, strange, but never mind. We had a look around the Christmas decorations, well we tried, there wasn't much room at all between the aisles so we couldn't look at 80% of the decorations so we left. 

Since we were upstairs now, we decided to stay upstairs and we chose Starbucks to have some lunch.

Starbucks:

Starbucks was extremely busy, at first we thought we wouldn't get a table, but luckily there was a table for 2 available. Starbucks had the tables and chairs quite close together but easy enough for Alicia to wheel me to the table. I waited whilst Alicia went to the counter for our lunch, the queue was huge but it did go down quite quickly and Alicia wasn't too long at all. 

We had our drinks and sandwiches and we left, I would go to Starbucks again, we have been in before for a drink a couple of times, it is accessible and there isn't a bad selection to choose from for lunch. 

Primark: 

Fitting Rooms:

I didn't intend to write about certain shops in particular, but in terms of accessibility, Primark really is the star of the show in this post and in the Trafford Centre. Their large lifts aren't right at the back of the shop,  they are big, and there are 2 of them to take you up and down the two floors. 

The shop is laid out fairly well, and Alicia could navigate my wheelchair around with ease, when we visited the fitting room, we were surprised to find the disabled fitting rooms are locked, and a member of staff gave us a plastic thing that you get when entering most fitting rooms, and then they told us which room number to go in. The fitting room was bright, the red cord was down and not high up wrapped around anything. There were ample grab rails and a seat, plus a call button. Alicia tried on some jeans, I had nothing to try, but we had plenty of room for Alicia to check the jeans from all angles with plenty of space, unlike the disabled fitting room in River Island. 

When we had finished, we gave the assistant back the plastic thing, and we left, then the room was locked again. We thought it was good that not just anybody can use the disabled fitting room, and only those who need it can use it, if you need it and aren't a wheelchair user, you mention it when they hand you the plastic thing, and the staff will unlock them, yes I said them as there is more than one disabled fitting room. 

Paying:

Regarding paying in Primark, they have a designated queuing area split into two halves, one on the right and one on the left. Each side has several tills, all numbered, and staff press a button to let you know which till is free. The first till on both sides has a wheelchair symbol above it, this is for disabled customers, to access these, so you do not need to queue. 

If you go to the middle of both queues towards the front, a member of staff will ask you to go to the till once it is free, if you use a mobility aid, it is more obvious you need to use this till, but I have researched, and apparently, if you have an invisible illness, you can speak to a member of staff who will serve you. 

The desk and card machine are lower at the till, making it easier to pay if you are a wheelchair user. I think with the disabled fitting rooms and the fact you don't need to queue to pay, cause let's face it, Primark queues can be extremely long, it is brilliant and can make such a difference to someone's shopping experience. We were really impressed with both of these features and the size of the lifts. 

Overall Thoughts & Star Rating:

Shops:

The majority of the shops we visited were accessible, but some could do better. The issue in most places is promotions or sales, meaning there is stock put in areas it wouldn't usually be. 

Fitting rooms are an issue, there need to be more disabled fitting rooms or some sort of monitoring could be used. 

Primark has it right in terms of accessibility, we were really impressed with Primark, their queueing-to-pay system, its lifts, and its fitting rooms, everything is brilliant and is something other stores could take note of. 

Dining: 

As I said, we went to Starbucks for some lunch. There is a large food court at the Trafford Centre, but I haven't visited for many years or in my wheelchair, so I cannot comment on that. Starbucks, however, was fine, and I have previously visited the John Lewis cafe and Marks and Spencer cafe, and both were absolutely fine. 

Parking:

There aren't nearly enough disabled parking spaces at the Trafford Centre in any of their car parks,  the ratio of parking spaces to disabled parking spaces is ridiculous. 

Lifts:

We didn't have any issues at all in terms of using lifts. 

Overall:

We found the Trafford Centre fine to go for a shopping trip, the parking let it down, but overall it was ok and we will return.  The main issue is the general public and rudeness, but that isn't the fault of the Trafford Centre, and we did visit on a Sunday.  

One thing I feel is worth mentioning, which isn't an accessibility issue, is that the 4/5g signal in the Trafford Centre is appalling.  We wanted to use my daughter's student discount code in Kiko, but due to the signal, we couldn't get on the website, in turn, we lost out on a 15% discount, which made a difference and was disappointing, to say the least. 

My advice would be, for any shops you are likely to go to that take student discounts, get the codes before you leave and screenshot them so you can use them when you're in the shops. 

Our star rating for the Trafford Centre's overall experience is:

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6 out of 10 and we will definitely visit again. 

Have you visited the Trafford Centre as a disabled person or with a disabled person? What did you think? 

Also, please let me know if there are any areas in particular you'd like me to include in these posts, and I will happily include them. 

Thank you for reading

Zoë x

Do Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips Really Work? My Honest Review

 Welcome back

For many years, I enjoyed the convenience and results of professional leg waxing at my local salon where I have been a customer for over 27 years. However, when my health deteriorated, the symptoms and disabilities that came with it, meant I had to step away from that routine.

I began looking for at-home alternatives, I was determined to find something that could offer similar results without going to a salon. I decided to try Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips legs and body. They claim to give you 28 days of smooth skin, which is similar to salon waxing, but I was sceptical that the strips could be as good as and replace my salon visits. 

Today I am sharing my honest review of the wax strips, did they give me smooth legs or leave me in a sticky mess? 

I do feel I should give some kind of warning here as this post contains photographs of my extremely hairy leg, so apologies in advance. 

The legs and body wax strips come in packs of 20 or 40, and each pack comes with Perfect Finish Wipes to remove any residue off the skin after waxing. The 40 pack comes with 4 wipes, which was plenty, and the 20 pack comes with 2 wipes. Also in the Pure Inspirations range are wax strips for the underarm, top lip and bikini line. 

The instructions for use are: 

• Slowly peel the strips apart using the outwards rounded tabs.

• Apply one strip to your skin in the direction of hair growth. Rub a few times in the direction your hair grows to make sure the wax adheres well.

• Hold tab.

• Hold skin taut.

• Pull the strip back on itself (AS FAST AS YOU CAN!) in one swift motion, close to the skin as you pull.

• After waxing, clean away any wax left on your skin with a Perfect Finish Wipe.

What The Wax Strips Look Like:

Before using the wax strips the skin must be completely dry, it says on the box that you can apply talc to your skin beforehand to ensure the skin is dry, I didn't do that but you can if you prefer. 

I unfortunately cannot do my own waxing, so my daughter Alicia did it for me. She followed the instructions, pulled the strip apart, and placed it on my leg towards my hair growth. 

Peeling the wax strip apart.

The wax strip applied to my (very hairy) leg. 

I suffer from PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and a side effect of this is that I lose my hair from my head, my hair is extremely thin, and I have to strategically place it to hide the baldness. Although I only lose the hair from my head, my body hair does not grow or grows very slowly, for example, my underarm hair does not really grow at all, and I honestly cannot remember the last time I had that area waxed, and my leg hair grows very slowly, so I can go 4 to 6 months in between waxing and I have to let my leg hair grow a lot before having the waxing done. 

Using The Wax Strips:

As I said, my daughter, Alicia, did my waxing for me as I'm unable to do it. She made sure the skin was dry and then took a wax strip, pulled it apart and placed it on my leg in the direction of the hair growth. The strip can be used a few times in different areas until it loses its stickiness. 

The strips removed the hair well, and the pain was minimal, the strips don't need to be warmed between your hands before use which is great, they can be used straight from the box. Once Alicia had waxed an area of my leg, she went on to another area until she had finished. Once she had finished, she checked to make sure she hadn't missed any patches and then used the wipes to wipe over my leg.

The wipes were excellent and removed any little bits of wax from my legs and made my legs feel lovely especially as they were so smooth. 

The Results:

As you can see from the photograph above, the difference is amazing, my leg is smooth and silky. The wax strips did a brilliant job. The only negative is that you use quite a few of the wax strips, but that might improve the more you use them and get used to it. 

Overall:

I am really impressed with the wax strips, the results are fantastic and exactly like I would get from visiting the salon. The wipes with the wax strips were brilliant, leaving my legs free from any wax residue and feeling lovely but not greasy. 

Alicia has also used the Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips in the bikini and underarm ranges, and she is really happy with those, she said they are also simple to use and give excellent results. 

I recommend the wax strips, they performed really well, the process was only slightly painful, nothing too bad at all, and the results were the same as if I'd gone to a salon for professional leg waxing. It was so much better for me to be able to have my legs waxed at home due to my health/disabilities making it impossible to have them done at the salon. Another benefit to a home waxing is it costs less than a salon would, so that's a definite bonus. I'm still getting my salon visits, too as I still go for manicures and pedicures there with my daughter Alicia. 

Both Alicia and I recommend the Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips, and we will continue to use them, Alicia will also continue to use the underarm and bikini strips too as she is very impressed with those. 

If you usually go to a salon for leg waxing or if you haven't tried waxing before, the strips are brilliant, and both Alicia and I highly recommend them. My legs stayed smooth for much longer than the 28 days, and I get quite a few weeks before any kind of regrowth, but as I said, my PCOS probably helps in that department. Alicia had good results though too, and her legs stayed smooth for much longer than if she'd shaved them, which was her previous method of hair removal. She is much happier with the results she gets from the strips. 

If you would like to try the Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips, you will find them on the Superdrug website HERE  priced at  £12.99 for the 40 pack however, at the time of posting this, the packs of 20 strips are on offer, and instead of the usual price of £7.55 per pack of 20,  at the moment they are on offer for 2 packs of 20 for £9.00 HERE saving you £9.10 when you buy 2 packs.   

Have you tried the Veet Pure Inspirations Cold Wax Strips? Let me know your thoughts, or if you do pick some up, let me know how you get on with them. 

Thank you for reading,

Zoë x

The Strapless Bra Struggle: Testing 50+ Options to Find 'The One'

Welcome back, 

I'm unsure if it's just me, but I thought finding a strapless bra would be quite an easy thing to do. 

How wrong I was! 

After buying some clothes for my summer holiday, I realised I needed to buy a couple of strapless bras to wear under some of my outfits and decided nude and black bras would be the best option. Since I thought this would be relatively easy, having had a virtual bra fitting (more on that on the blog soon) not too long ago, I ordered a few strapless bras in both nude and black from different companies. 

Something to point out is that I do 99% of my shopping online, I have multiple health issues and am disabled, so trying on clothes in-store is a nightmare and something I avoid. So, all the bras I tried were bought online from various websites. 

My Search Begins: 

I tried multiway bras, bras with removable straps, and plain old strapless bras that don't come with any straps and all different brands including stores' own brands and prices, ranging from £12.00 up to around £50 for each bra. 

So as you can see, I gave it a good test. 

I bought all the bras in the same size at first and when the first lot of bras arrived I was hopeful I would find at least one because there were quite a few bras to try. How wrong I was, some of them were badly gaping at the top of the cup, some tight around my back and some loose around my back. After discussions with my daughter Alicia who helped me try the bras on, and online research, I decided to try the bras I liked the best out of a bad bunch in different back and cup sizes. 

Unfortunately, when they arrived, none of the bras were right, although I had changed the sizes of the band and cups according to the bras I tried from the first package, they still weren't right at all and the main issue I had seemed to be gaping at the top of the cup. 

As we get older, we lose breast tissue, fat and mammary glands from our breasts, meaning we don't have as much fullness at the top of our breasts, this was definitely the issue I was having, so it was back to the drawing board.

Several bras later, and still no luck, I was losing the will to live and had no idea what I was going to do, since not wearing a bra wasn't an option. I continued with my search and tried on many more bras but with each package that arrived, I felt less and less hopeful as nothing was right for me and I couldn't even try to modify any of the bras using "tit tape" or padding, I was at a total loss. 

Finally, I May Be In Luck:

A few days later, I decided to have yet another browse online, I visited the Marks & Spencer website and had another look. While searching, I came across the Seamless Non-Wired Bandeau Bra, which came in 4 different colours, White, Black, Rose Quartz and Topaz. Rose Quartz is a pale nude, and Topaz is a deeper nude, and the bra was priced at £12.00.

                                                          Seamless Non-Wired Bandeau Bra - Rose Quartz

                                                  Seamless Non-Wired Bandeau Bra - Rose Quartz

The bras came in sizes:

Small - 8 - 10

Medium - 12 - 14

Large - 16 -18

Extra Large - 20 - 22

I ordered two sizes as I was unsure, so I ordered a large and an extra large in the shade Rose Quartz. To be brutally honest, I wasn't expecting much, I'd read the reviews, which were mixed but more good than bad and hoped for the best. 

The bras arrived, the size large looked quite small but felt stretchy, so I tried both sizes on. The size large, which is 16 to 18, was difficult to pull down, I need assistance with dressing, and my daughter found it difficult to get it on and off me, so we tried the extra large one, which is a size 20 to 22. I wear a size 18 in clothes, and if it's sized in small to large, etc. I wear whichever size is 16 to 18, I've found it's usually large in most places.  

I definitely felt the extra large was more comfortable and fitted the best, and Alicia agreed. The bra came with padding at the front, which can be removed if you prefer, I kept that in. The bra felt nice and soft and was very comfortable and gave me good support too, which did surprise me but I was so pleased, so much so, that I ordered another nude and two black and returned the size large. 

The Wear Test:

I didn't have time to try out the bras at home before going on my holidays, so I just packed them in good faith and crossed my fingers that they would be ok, I took both of the nude and both of the black bras so had 4 in total. 

The first outfit I wore one of the bras with was a maxi dress that had thin spaghetti-style straps, and it looked fine, I wore it for the full evening and it was absolutely fine, it didn't slip or roll down, and the pads stayed where they were, and it felt comfortable, and most importantly, I felt supported, and it looked fine under my dress. My dress was pale in colour, with a white background with pastel flowers, and the bra was invisible, even though it is a ribbed material, it didn't show at all.

I wore all 4 of the bras on holiday under various outfits, including strapless dresses and tops, one-shoulder tops and dresses/tops with thin straps, and they were perfect, all my outfits looked fine, and the bras were comfortable and supportive, they were perfect! 

I plan to have a "holiday outfits" post on my Instagram soon, so if you'd like to check that out, keep an eye on my Instagram, which you will find HERE.

Overall:

I honestly cannot believe that after ordering and trying on over 50 strapless bras, I found one for £12.00 that is perfect for me and provides everything I wanted in a strapless bra, mostly comfort and support. The bras have been washed and washed really well, too. The pads do move around in the wash and can sometimes come out, but they are easy to pop back into place. 

I can't recommend the Seamless Non-Wired Bandeau Bra enough, it's a 10/10 for me.

If you would like to try the bra, you can find it on the M&S website for £12.00 HERE and if the Topaz colour is the colour you need, that is on offer at the moment for £7.50 HERE. 

Have you tried the M&S bra? Which is your favourite strapless bra and do you have a recommendation? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading 

Zoë x

Transform Your Wellness Journey with Zen Ear Seeding

Welcome back, 

Today I have something a little different to share with you: an Ear Seeding Kit from  Zen Seeds. 

When Zen Seeds got in touch with me and asked if I would like to try one of their kits, I was intrigued because I hadn't ever heard of ear seeding before. Once I had read up about it on the Zen website, I thought it sounded such an interesting practice and wanted to share it with you as I thought it was something you might be interested in too. 

I will also have a discount code for you at the end of today's post so you can try out ear seeding too.  So keep an eye out for that. 

What Is Ear Seeding?

The following information is taken from the Zen Seed website:

Ear Seeding is also known as ear acupressure or ear reflexology. This holistic wellness practice involves placing small seeds or beads onto specific points on the ear.

​

The aim of ear seeding is to foster balance and harmony within the body, alleviating stress and targeting specific health concerns. Increasingly popular as a non-invasive, relaxing, and natural way to promote overall well-being, ear seeding is favoured for its potential to reduce tension, enhance relaxation, and contribute to a sense of inner balance and tranquillity.

​

Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the ear is viewed as a micro-representation of the entire body, likened to an inverted fetus. Modern clinical research supports its influence on neural pathways. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, health relies on the flow of Qi (energy) within the body. Qi travels along invisible pathways called meridians, which are present throughout the body, including the ears. By placing ear seeds on specific points along these meridian lines, it's believed blockages in Qi can be cleared, aiding a variety of health conditions.

​

Ear seeding not only unblocks energy meridians but also stimulates nerve connections between the ear and the central nervous system. Pressure applied to a particular point triggers a nerve impulse from the ear to the brain, which then sends healing messages to the affected organ or system. This stimulation prompts the brain to release pain-relieving endorphins into the bloodstream, offering quick relief from chronic pain and discomfort.

Some Of The Potential Benefits Of Ear Seeding Are:

Stress Reduction

Digestive Health

Addiction Support

Pain Management

Migraine

Menopause Symptoms

Back Pain

And much more

Zen Seeds Ear Seeding Kit - Silver 

The Zen Ear Seeding Kit comes in Silver or Gold, I have the Silver. Inside the kit is everything you need for around three or more treatments, the kit includes: 

• 20 x Silver Ear Seeds
• 1 x Silver Tweezers
• 1 x Acupuncture Point Probe
• 1 x Booklet
• 3 x Alcohol Wipes

Inside the kit, there is a booklet which has lots of helpful information including how to apply and remove the ear seeds and where to apply them depending on the problem you have plus lots more information on the placement of the seeds and how they work. The Zen Seeds website is also brilliant, it's easy to navigate and has some brilliant reviews on there and some really helpful information. 

The seeds themselves are tiny, I have the silver seeds and there are enough seeds in each kit to use for three treatments at least. The seeds come on a clear round plaster and are easy to peel off the packaging with the tweezers supplied in the kit, they adhere to clean, dry skin with ease and using the probe, are fairly easy to apply using the guide in the booklet to show where to place them on the ear. 

The ear seeds - silver

The tip of the acupressure probe

Once the seeds are all in place, it is recommended to massage each seed at least three times per day for five days. Should you want to try more treatments it is best to use your other ear and apply in the same way. 

It is NOT recommended to use the ear seeds during pregnancy as this can cause premature labour. 

                                                                         The ear seeds in place

Overall Thoughts:

I was really intrigued by the concept of ear seeding and the Zen Seeds Kit is a brilliant way of trying ear seeding for the first time. The website was so insightful and gave me all the information I needed to try ear seeding along with the booklet included in the kit. 

The ear seeding kit I received is great and has everything you need included, they are £24.99 for either a silver or gold kit. The seeds can be bought separately for £7.00 per pack,  meaning you don't need to buy a new kit if you want to continue using the ear seeds, you can also buy the other items included in the kit separately.  

If you would like to try ear seeding, you can buy the Zen Ear Seeding Kit from their website by clicking HERE and using the code ZOE10 will give you a 10% discount. 

I also have a video on Zen Seeds on my Instagram account, which you can find HERE if you'd also like to watch that. 

Have you tried ear seeding? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading

Zoë x

 

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StriVectin Double Fix™ for Lips Plumping & Vertical Line Treatment - An Honest Review

Welcome back, 

In today's post, I have a review of the Strivectin Double Fix™ for Lips Plumping & Vertical Line Treatment, being a bit of a skincare geek, and getting older too, I am often on the lookout for products for certain areas of my face. 

The last few years, I have been more aware of my skin ageing and I have been looking into products targeted at the ageing process, one thing I have been concious of, is not wanting to have a lot of lines around my lips, particularly my top lip,  so I went on the hunt for the perfect skincare product to try and help with this. 

I had been researching for a few weeks and reading online reviews for a few different products, and one product that kept coming up whilst I was doing my research was the StriVectin Anti-Wrinkle Double Fix For Lips Plumping & Vertical Line Treatment, this is a double ended treatment with a lip gloss at one end and a cream at the other end, lots of people recommended this in online reviews and many of the blog/influencer reviews and reviews on Instagram and other social media posts I read only had great things to say about it. 

It seemed like a no brainer after reading so many good reviews, but the price put me off, £30.00 is a lot to spend on one item. But luck was on my side because as I was browsing the Boots £10 Tuesday a couple of days later,  the StriVectin Double Fix was in it, I couldn't believe my luck, I never have things happen like that usually and I was so pleased. 

What Is Boots £10 Tuesday?:

If you aren't aware of the Boots £10 Tuesday deals, I shall explain. Every Tuesday Boots has a range of products that are all priced at £10.00, some of the items are usually much more expensive and there are some amazing deals to have. Items included in the £10 Tuesday can be anything from makeup to baby clothes and everything in between and it really is worth a look. I have saved a lot of money from purchasing things from the £10 Tuesday and I always check it out each week, it really is one not to miss. 

Click ME for this weeks £10 deals, after a Bank Holiday the deals are available on Wednesday and not Tuesday so you can grab yourself a bargain today. 

The Strivectin Double Fix was on the Boots website priced at £29.99 at the time, meaning I would save £19.99, so, if ever there was a time to try a product, this was it, an almost twenty pounds saving, thank you Boots, it went straight in my basket! 

What StriVectin Says About The Product:

An innovative 2-in-1 treatment for lips and the delicate skin around the lip line, infuses new life into lips! On one side, the Plumping Treatment enhances lip volume to visibly plump and smooth. This non-drying, no-sting formula leaves behind a sophisticated glossy finish, perfect over lipstick or on its own. On the other side, the Vertical Line Treatment helps improve elasticity and firmness around the lip line, reducing the appearance of stubborn vertical lines in just 4 weeks and restoring lip contour.

Double duty performance:

 

• Reduces the appearance of fine vertical lines and wrinkles around the mouth
• Instantly plumps and hydrates lips
• Hydrates & enhances natural lip colour

As you can see from the photographs above, the Double Fix treatment is a pen style packaging with the line treatment at one end and the plumping lip gloss at the other end. 

The lip gloss comes with a doe foot style applicator. 

The line treatment comes with a brush applicator. 

I incorporated the treatment into my skincare routine and applied the lip treatment around my lips morning and evening after cleansing my skin. The gloss I wore alone or over my lipstick depending on the day, and I always added some after my evening skincare routine, so I did use it twice a day, everyday. 

The line treatment is a white quite thin lotion type product, to apply I brushed it around my lips and mouth area using the applicator it came with. It doesn't have a scent as such and dried quickly into the skin, it felt nice and moisturising and was easy to use. The lip gloss didn't feel tingly like some plumping glosses do, but it did feel nice and hydrating and left my lips feeling soft and nourished. The gloss doesn't have a colour to it as such,  so I could wear it over any of my lipsticks, or alone for a bit of something on no makeup days. 

The Results:

I used the StriVectin Double Fix treatment for around 4/5 weeks, which was basically how long it lasted before running out. There really isn't much product in it at all and I was disappointed by this, especially as this isn't a budget product and is what I would class as an expensive skincare item and although I paid £10.00 for it on offer, I have to review it for what it is, which is a £30.00 skincare product. 

I had high hopes for this product and even took before photographs so I could share my results with you all. I was that convinced it would work and I would have the most amazing result photographs to share with you, but sadly there was absolutely no difference and after using the whole product, my skin looked exactly the same, which meant there is no before and after reveal photographs I'm afraid. 

I am so glad I didn't pay full price for it and I hate to write negative reviews, but I saw so many brilliant reviews and claims of amazing results on social media posts and blog post reviews, and that is what made me want to try and eventually buy it. 

If you're a long time reader of my blog, you'll know, I'm always 100% honest about a product regardless of it being a PR sample or something I've bought it myself, and I am sorry that this review isn't more positive, but I am and always will be honest and write an honest and genuine review. 

Hopefully my next product review will be more positive.

Should you still want to try the StriVectin Double Fix for Lips Plumping & Vertical Line Treatment, you can find it at Boots stores online HERE. 

Thank you for reading 

Zoë x