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

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

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Glowing Affordability: Garnier's Gentle Cleansing Range Expands for Radiant Skin on a Budget!

 

Post contains PR samples

Welcome back, 

Today I have some exciting skin care news for you, and the exciting news all started with an unexpected parcel in the new year. 

When I received a parcel at the very beginning of January I was confused, I hadn't ordered anything and certainly wasn't expecting anything. So when I opened the parcel and saw the Garnier logo, I was very excited to see what was inside. 

New Product Launches: What's Included

Following the successful launch of the Hydrating Cleanser last year, Garnier is extending their gentle and affordable cleansing range this January 2024, all are approved by the British Skin Foundation and are cruelty-free and the best thing is I got to have a sneak peek and I'm going to share them with you.

Cleansing:

There are two new cleansers in the range,  Soothing Cream Cleanser Hyaluronic Aloe and Brightening Cream Cleanser Vitamin C . 

I have the Soothing Cream Cleanser for dehydrated skin.

What Garnier Says:

"Garner Hyaluronic Aloe Cream Cleanser is a soothing cleanser which deeply cleanses, hydrates, and replumps for a soothed and refined skin texture. Gently removes make-up & and impurities, while maintaining skin's natural moisture barrier. Enriched with Hyaluronic Acid known to hydrate, Aloe Vera known as a natural ingredient to soothe and refresh skin and Glycerin known as a humectant from natural origin to deeply moisturise and protect skin barrier. Gentle Formula: A gentle formula that’s microbiome-friendly and sulphate-free. Formula is pH-neutral to the skin and dermatologically tested".

Vegan Formula.

The other cleanser in the range is the Brightening Vitamin C Cleanser which also sounds amazing, it cleanses, hydrates and brightens for even and glowing skin. The cleanser gently removes makeup and impurities whilst maintaining the skin's natural moisture barrier. It's enriched with vitamin Cg2 known as a dermatological active that brightens boosts glow and enhances skin radiance. Glycerin known as humectant from its natural origin deeply hydrates and protects skin barrier. The cleanser has a gentle formula which is pH-friendly and sulphate free, it is dermatologically tested and is a vegan formula. 

Vitamin C Daily UV SPF 50+

There are two types of Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid, one is Glow which has a tint to it so would be great for a very light base, or on no makeup, makeup days, and the other one is Invisible, which has no colour to it.  I have the Invisible UV Fluid from the range. 

What Garnier Says:

 

Invisible UV Fluid: 

"Garnier’s Daily UV Fluid combines a very high protection SPF50+ (UVA, UVB & long UVA) to help prevent dark spots, with Vitamin C2 known for its efficacy on boosting brightness and improving complexion.

It also contains peptides known to smooth skin and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate with an invisible lightweight

formula. Perfectly blends with different skin types and tones without leaving white traces. Non-greasy, non-sticky.

Easy to apply every morning as a moisturiser, or on top of your dav cream before your makeup routine. Dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested for all skin types and tones".

My Thoughts:

I have been using both the cleanser and the UV fluid for the past week and both are lovely products, the cleanser has a lovely fresh scent which isn't too strong or overbearing and is very easy to use, I apply it all over my damp face and then rub in and finish by wiping my face clean with a face cloth which I run under the hot tap. The cleanser leaves my skin feeling clean, soft and hydrated without leaving a residue on my skin.  It removes all traces of makeup and SPF and even makes light work of my waterproof mascara. 

I have dry and dehydrated skin and since having our house renovations done, I have to admit, my skincare routine has slipped a lot, getting back into it was my New Year promise to myself and I have been enjoying using the cleanser as part of my morning and evening skincare routine, it's lovely when I have been wearing makeup or for my morning cleanse, I always double cleanse in the evening to remove any makeup if I've worn it, but also to remove SPF as I wear that daily, even if I don't leave the house, as skincare goddess Caroline Hirons says, if it's light enough to read a book indoors, you need to wear SPF. 

I have been using the UV Fluid as the last step in my morning skincare routine as my SPF, being SPF 50+ it is ideal and it doesn't leave any white cast on the skin, nor does it leave my skin feeling greasy. It doesn't have much of a scent, if any and is quite runny in texture, not ridiculously but more so than say a moisturising cream, it's definitely a fluid type texture and it applies beautifully and rubs into the skin effortlessly, disappearing quickly and leaving a lovely base for makeup should I be applying any, but if not, it leaves my skin looking and feeling glowy and feeling soft. 

Having only been using the products for a week, I can't give an in-depth review of the effects the products have had on my skin or any skincare benefits I have noticed as it's too soon to say, but on first impressions, both the cleanser and the UV fluid are lovely products and ones I am enjoying using and will continue to use. Once I am running low on the cleanser I will be trying the brightening cleanser and I will definitely pick up the glow UV fluid too,  I like the sound of the tinted SPF, and I think having both in my collection would be good then I could choose depending on if I want to wear makeup or not, or just to pep my skin up a little. 

Where Can I Buy?

If you would like to try the new launches from Garnier, you can find them in Boots stores or online now. The cleansers have an RRP of £9.99 and the UV Fluids have an RRP of £12.99. If you would like to purchase online, you can find the Hydrating cleanser HERE and you can find the Invisible UV Fluid HERE and the Brightening cleanser HERE and the Glow UV Fluid HERE.

Will you be picking up any of the new Garnier skincare launches? Please let me know your thoughts if you do. 

Thank you for reading

Zoë x

Fenty Beauty Makeup Hits And Misses

When Fenty Beauty,  owned by famous singer, Rhianna launched in the UK in 2017 like most makeup enthusiasts and bloggers, I was intrigued by the brand and wanted to try some of the products but nothing really jumped out at me enough for me to purchase anything at that time.

The range was initially heavily complexion based, but has since been expanded and now includes an array of products including eye and lip products, and there has since been the launch of Fenty Skin and Fenty Skin Body too.

I have since tried quite a few products from the skincare range and the makeup range but today I am going to share my thoughts, my hits and misses from the products I have from the makeup range with you.   

Match Stix Contour Skinstick

Fenty describes the Skinstick as a "Longwear, light-as-air matte contour stick in a range of shades for all skin tones." and I'd say this is an accurate description of the product. 

I have the Match Stix Contour Skinstick in the shade Amber which is described as a "cool undertone for fair skin tones" This is the perfect shade for me. I do have a cool undertone to my skin and I am fair skinned too and this shade is brilliant. Skinstick is available in 9 different shades which is great, the whole range of Fenty skin products is available in a vast range of shades to suit all skin tones, I would say they have the best range of shades available to suit many different skin tones, and other brands really do need to take note.   

The contour stick comes in excellent sleek coloured packaging and is easy to use. To enable you to get the product out, you twist it from the base and the product comes out, it does twist back down too. To apply, I just pop a little where I want it on my face and then blend it in with a damp Marshmallow Sponge from Coco Cosmetics by Chloe, but you can use any makeup sponge or a brush, whatever you prefer. You don't need to use a lot of product,  and the match stix blends in beautifully to my skin and gives a lovely finish.  I have also used it on my eyes and it makes a lovely cream eyeshadow too, which is brilliant for travelling and not wanting to take too many products. 

swatch is unedited

I had never really been someone who contoured their face when doing my makeup, but I received the skinstick as a gift and I am so grateful as I have used it so much since and I absolutely love it, I wouldn't say I particularly contour my face as such but I love to use it as a cream bronzer and to also add some definition to my face, but I doubt any makeup artists would call it contouring!   

Want to try the Match Stix Contour Stick? You can find it on the Fenty website  HERE priced at £25.00.

Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Colour

I had seen a couple of people speak about the Stunna Lip Paint and since I like liquid lipsticks I thought I'd try one, Fenty described them as "Weightless, long wear liquid lipstick with a soft matte finish in head-turning shades that look incredible on all skin tones." I chose the shade Unattached which is described as "bright coral". If you are a regular reader of my blog or you know me personally, you will know that coral lip shades are my favourite, along with pinks, so it was inevitable I was going to choose Unattached. 

The lip paint comes in lovely packaging, with a clear plastic base showing the lip paint and a pointed gold coloured lid, which has Fenty Beauty written on it. The applicator is like nothing I've used before, it isn't a doe foot applicator, it's more of an hourglass shape, but it makes applying the lip paint effortless. 

The lip paint is a matte formula, and it can feel a little drying should you apply too much, so I tend to build it up and if it is feeling a touch drying, I add lip balm and it's perfect, but for the most part, it feels fine and it is so long lasting, I wore it recently on an evening out with my family and we had food and drinks, and then I had another drink later and when I got home around 6.5 hours after application, it was still there and still looked ok, not as it did when I first applied it, but it was fine and didn't look a mess. 

swatch is unedited

I love the Stunna Lip Paint, my only complaint is, that it isn't available in more shades, especially bright shades. 

Want to try the Stunna Lip Paint? You can find it on the Fenty website HERE priced at £24.00. 

Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

Having dry skin, I love to use cream products when applying my makeup and I have amassed quite a collection of cream base products, especially cream blush. When I saw the Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush swatches, I fell in love and knew I definitely needed to try one, asap.  

Described by Fenty as "Light-as-air cream blush that easily melts into the skin for a kiss of colour for every skin tone" the Freestyle Cream Blushes are just beautiful, I have the shade Strawberry Drip, which in the pan looks scarily bright red, but on the cheeks, it blends out to a beautiful pink flush of colour that lasts all day. 

I really like the packaging of the blush, the case is an octagonal shaped plastic case with gold writing on the lid, and inside the lid, there is a mirror that fills the space and is a good size and I can use it, which sometimes isn't the case with some makeup products with a built in mirror. 

swatch is unedited

I apply the cream blush using my finger to dab it on my cheeks, and then I blend it out using my damp makeup sponge, I have used a brush too but my preferred method is to use a makeup sponge. I absolutely adore the blush and will 100% be adding the shades Crush On Cupid and Petal Popping to my collection. My youngest daughter has the shade Petal Poppin and it is beautiful. 

Do you want to try the Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush? You can find it on the Fenty website HERE priced at £22.00. 

Liquid Killawat Fluid Freestyle Highlighter

Liquid highlighters are something I haven't really tried too many of, maybe 3 or 4? But when I got the Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter I was really looking forward to trying it, especially as I heard a lot of really good things about it from reading blog posts about it. 

I have the shade Sidekick, which is the palest shade, the highlighter like all the Fenty products has nice packaging, it comes in a tube like packaging with a pattern and writing on it in white and an octagonal shaped lid. The nozzle on the tube is quite small but I prefer that as otherwise it could be easy to squeeze too much product out. 

The highlighter is described by Fenty as a " Lightweight, high-shine liquid highlighter that hugs the skin with a modern, transfer-resistant glow". It is easy to apply, I apply it in the same way as I do the blush, by dabbing a small amount to the tops of my cheeks and blending it out with either a makeup sponge or a brush. 

I really wanted to love the highlight, but I don't like it at all, it is glittery with not much else there and has a gold colour to it and is just not right at all for my colouring and far too sparkly, if you like a sparkly highlight I think you'd like it, but it is just not for me at all. I have tried it a fair few times now but I seem to dislike it more each time. 

swatch is unedited

I was so disappointed the first time I used it after all the other products being so lovely, I had such high hopes but my hopes were soon dashed when I resembled a disco ball come Christmas card in one, it's definitely not for me, but we are all different and you may love it. 

If you want to try the Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter, you can find it on the Fenty website HERE priced at £26.00. 

Bright Fix Eye Brightener

Last but by no means least, we have the Bright Fix Eye Brightener described by Fenty as an "under eye brightener that easily hydrates, brightens, and conceals. Sheer to buildable coverage". I have the shade Rose Quartz which is the palest of the shades available and is described as "Cool pink to brighten and colour correct for light skin tones" which does sound perfect for my skin tone.  

Rose Quartz has a peachy colour to it and I suffer from dark circles, a combination of genetics and having deep set eyes and high cheekbones, plus no sleep and then throw in a ridiculous amount of pain and there it is, dark circles. But with that combination and dark circles,  I do like to use a peachy toned corrector as I find it is the best shade type for me. 

  

If you are choosing your shade online, it is quite simple to do, all the shades are listed but if you would rather, you can select a shade from the categories, light, light -medium, medium, medium -deep or deep. 

I love the packaging of the eye brightener, it's a peachy coloured tube with a clear plastic rollerball type applicator, meaning you can squeeze the tube a little then roll the product under the eyes, then tap in with your ring finger, or you can use a brush or makeup sponge, whatever your preference. 

Once again, I really thought I was going to love this product, but sadly I do not, I just cannot get on with it. The shade is so pale that I look ill when I use it, don't get me wrong I am naturally very fair skinned but it gives me Caspar vibes. Had I had one of the deeper shades, it would have been too yellow toned and probably too dark for me. The consistency is also not right for me, it's hard to explain but it's thicker than I expected but then a little does go a long way so if you do like it, it should last you a while.  It dries to a matte finish which looks terrible on me, and accentuates any fine lines I have, which is something I'd rather avoid if possible.  

The shade, the consistency and the finish it gives on the skin are all wrong for me, but I suppose not all products are going to suit everyone and this is sadly just one of those products. 

However, if you think you would like the product, you can find it on the Fenty website HERE priced at £22.00. 

So, those are my Fenty Beauty makeup hits and misses from the items I have in my makeup bag. I do have a wishlist of some more makeup items from Fenty, so I shall let you know my thoughts once I am lucky enough to have added those to my collection. 

I do also have some products from the Fenty Skin range, so if you would like me to do a hits and misses of those items too, please let me know. 

Have you tried Fenty Beauty? And have you tried any of the products I have spoken about today? What are your favourites from Fenty? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading 

Zoë x