My Holiday Saviour - Calypso Sun Burn Relief And A Word Of Warning

 Hello Lovelies,

A few weeks before I went on my family holiday to Greece I received some items from the brand Calypso to take with me, one of the items was the Calypso Sun Burn Relief Spray which is an anti irritant spray for sun burn and also relief from insect bites and stings and I thought it sounded like it could be something really useful to take with us.

The sun burn relief spray comes in a 100ml spray bottle with clear instructions both on the bottle and the box.

When on holiday my whole family use an SPF 30 sun protection so burning isn't something we usually experience, we are super careful and re apply our sun protection often but myself and my 2 daughters suffer with prickly heat and the sun burn relief claimed to be an anti irritant that would calm the skin and also be relief for insect bites and stings so I thought it could possibly be a great product to take with us "just in case".

The Calypso sun burn relief spray became something so much more than a "just in case" product whilst we were away, we had some unused sun protection at home so we asked at a local pharmacy if we were safe to use the sun protection and were told as long as it hadn't been opened it would be fine as it had a shelf life of 12 months once opened but this was brand new so would be fine. We had 2 bottles of unused sun protection but bought more, we always buy more than we need because it is extremely expensive to buy in resort.

On day 1 of our holidays myself, Simon and Lissy burnt, Simon burnt his back, chest and tummy very badly he was red raw, this is unheard of for Simon, he is mixed race and very dark skinned naturally and he NEVER burns and to be fair he wears sun protection for the purpose of the UV damage to the skin and that only he doesn't wear it to prevent burning, but he burnt and I mean burnt it was so bad he had to wear a t-shirt for 4 days because he was so sore. Myself and Lissy had burnt our backs luckily not as badly as Simon as we spend a lot of time sat under the umbrella's and don't sit in the sun and thank god we don't or we'd have been in a mess too.

When we got back to our apartment after our first day and realised that we were burnt I decided to try out the Calypso sun burn relief, so after we were all showered and clean myself, Simon and Lissy used the sun burn relief spray,  the directions were to spray evenly onto the skin but not rub in, the spray has a minty/menthol scent to it and when it is first applied to the skin it stings for a few minutes it's not an unbearable sting but it does sting, once the sting has calmed down the skin feels instantly cool and that horrible sun burn sting is gone, you can re apply the sun burn relief so we re applied just before we went to bed too.

The sun burn relief spray is an incredible product, it takes that nasty sore and tight feeling you get with sun burn out immediately and the skin feels instantly cool and not sore at all, you can move around without saying "ouch ouch ouch" every time you move an arm or leg it really is a fantastic product, I also used it on myself and Lissy because we suffered with prickly heat and we used it to calm down our very itchy skin and it worked brilliantly for that too, luckily none of us had any bites or stings so I can't say how it worked for those but I can imagine it would be brilliant, we were all really impressed with it.

I will definitely be re purchasing the Calypso sun burn relief spray for future holidays it really is a fantastic product and one I would highly recommend, it is an amazing price too at just £2.99 and to be honest we'd have happily paid double for it, it is absolutely amazing and will be a definite in our suitcase every year from now on, thank you Calypso you really were our holiday saviour.

Word Of Warning

Once we had sorted our horrible sun burn out I decided to look into why we'd burnt so badly, yes it was incredibly hot at 42 in the shade and there was a breeze the first 2 days so some people were burning but we have visited the resort many times before at the same time of year and it is always the same weather wise so we couldn't understand it especially Simon burning as he just doesn't ever burn. The hotel wifi we had was what I can only describe as diabolical but in the early hours it wasn't bad because nobody was using it, I don't sleep so I decided to look into it and to my horror I discovered that sun protection that hasn't been used can turn into what was described online as a "cooking oil" type product so it was no wonder we had burned including Simon as we had basically fried, ouch!! So a word of warning to others, if you have some sun protection that you haven't ever used please throw it away, it does say it's fine to use it but in some cases it can go off and then turn into a cooking oil type product providing zero protection and basically frying you alive, can you imagine if we'd had a baby or very young child? It was bad enough that myself, Lissy and Simon burnt but we are adults and understand, poor Simon was a real mess bless him, so please please don't make the mistake we did, throw away unused sun protection, we did as I said ask the advice of a local pharmacist and to be fair in some cases it will be fine but we won't ever be taking that risk again, needless to say we threw away the other unused bottle we had taken with us and luckily because we take plenty we had enough.

If you would like more information on the Calypso Sun Burn Relief Spray you can find out more from the Calypso website and if you would like to try some of the sun burn relief spray you can find it here on the TJHughes website for £2.99. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

✿ Post contains PR samples or gifted items

Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush And Contour Palette - Sugar And Spice - Review And Swatches

Hello Lovelies,

Since their launch 18 months ago Makeup Revolution have brought us some incredible makeup products and continue to wow me with their amazing quality for such affordable prices. When I received the Ultra Blush And Contour Palette In Sugar And Spice I couldn't wait to start using it, I love blush and love pink so this looked like it would be the perfect combination of the two for me.

There are 8 shades in the palette most being matte with some semi matte/satin shades plus a baked blush and baked highlight too. The packaging is sleek and sturdy with a great sized mirror, the palette is an amazing price of £6.00 meaning each shade works out at just 75 pence which is a fantastic price. 

My Thoughts

I love this palette, the shades are all ideal for me as my favourite blush shades are pinks and peaches but I do love neutral tones in the Autumn/Winter months too so all the shades are perfect for me and there isn't one I don't like, I do prefer matte shades as a rule but the pink baked blush (shade 8) is stunning and the satin finishes are lovely and quite subtle too. I think shades 1 and 2 might be a little difficult for many people as a contour shade as they do have a pink undertone to them but they may work for someone who's very pale, they do work as a neutral blush shade and are both stunning if they can't be used for contour though.  

All the shades applied well and blended beautifully and are incredibly pigmented a light hand is definitely needed when applying, they leave all leave a lovely finish on my skin that lasts well too without the need for re applying. All the shades are wearable for both day and night looks and the highlight works well on the eyes too, the palette is ideal for travelling as there are so many lovely shades to go with many different make up looks, the packaging is ideal for travel too it is sturdy and has a brilliant sized mirror ideal for using whilst applying make up so you won't need an additional mirror. 

I would highly recommend the Sugar and Spice palette it has 8 stunning shades that would suit any skin tone and compliment many different make up looks, the pigmentation of the product is incredible, it is a joy to use, ideal for travel and is an amazing price too, whats not to love? 

If you would like to try the Sugar and Spice palette you can find it on the Makeup Revolution website for £6.00, you can also find Makeup Revolution products on the Superdrug website and in some Superdrug stores. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

✿ This post contains PR samples or gifted items

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation

Hello Lovelies, 

Recently I went on a rare trip out with my daughter Lissy to meet my lovely friend Jodie in Manchester, whilst we were there we nipped into Selfridges so I could pick up a sample of the new Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, I have the Light Wonder foundation (full review here) and really like it and have tried the Magic Cream (full review here) so I was really excited to try the Magic Foundation, I'd heard so many good things about it and read up on it and it sounded perfect for my skin. 

The sales assistant said she wasn't sure which shade I'd be so she gave me 3 samples in shade 2, 3 and 3.5 which incidentally were all wrong, she didn't try the foundation on my face but my daughter who is a professional MUA can colour match someone by looking at them so I assumed she could too, obviously not. 

✿ Shade 2 - A pink-beige for Very Fair Skin Tones with Cool Undertones.

✿ Shade 3 - A neutral beige for Light Skin Tones with Cool Undertones.

✿ Shade 3.5 - A warm golden-beige for Light Skin Tones with Warm Golden/Yellow Undertones.

Shade 3.5

What Charlotte Tilbury Says About The Magic Foundation

My Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types.

I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-aging and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream.

It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, my Magic Foundation will give you a perfect skin day, every day!

Chose from 15 beautiful demi-matte shades to match every skin tone from Lily Cole to Lupita Nyongo. Buff on with my Magic Complexion Brush for a flawless, air-brushed finish.

IDEAL FOR TREATING THE FOLLOWING:

Acne & Acne Scarring

• Instantly tightens pores and reduces shine.
• Minimizes oil production after 9 weeks.

Redness, Rosacea, Discoloration & Melasma

• Weightlessly covers any discoloration or imperfections.
• Helps reduce over-production of melanocytes (which cause pigmentation issues like melasma).

Mature Skin: Lines, Deep Wrinkles, Age Spots & Spider Veins

• Smoothes the appearance of wrinkles in just 1 hour.
• Reduces the appearance of age spots by 75%.

Normal to Tired, Dull Skin

• Antioxidant formula rejuvenates skin from within for a rested, refreshed look.

Broad Spectrum SPF 15

My Thoughts

First of all as I said all 3 shades were completely wrong, the sales assistant said I'd probably be a 2 normally but because I still had some of my holiday tan I might be a 3 or 3.5, which does sound like it makes sense doesn't it? However the shades don't go just in shade deepness, as you can see from my description of each shade above, they go in undertone, colour and shade deepness so going up in numbers wasn't ever going to work for me, shouldn't she have known this? Although the shades I'd been given were incorrect I decided I would still try the foundation as I would be able to try it based on application, formula and how it wore etc. 

I decided I would apply the foundation with my beauty blender as this is how I usually apply foundation, I had already prepared my skin with my usual skin care regime. I applied the foundation and it applied well with the beauty blender, as soon as I applied it I really disliked the finish, it is a matte finish and my skin looked really flat, I would agree that the foundation reduces shine but not that it minimises pores, I found that it settled into my pores slightly. I have very dry and dehydrated skin and told the sales assistant who said and I quote "oh it's perfect for your skin type" I have fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead due to having very dehydrated skin and some of the fine lines around and under my eyes are probably due to my age too but the foundation does claim to be for a more mature skin, however the foundation settled really badly into the fine lines around and under my eyes and on my forehead they looked awful almost immediately, I smoothed the foundation out but once again it settled into the lines. 

I also felt the foundation looked quite cakey, the day I wore it my sister was doing my hair and I asked her what she thought and she said it looked "powdery" and my skin looked dull and flat and I have to agree with her it did. The foundation gives quite a full coverage but I'd say medium to full rather than full, it did cover my redness but my freckles were still visible in some areas. 

Overall Thoughts & Will I Purchase?

I was so disappointed with the Magic Foundation, I really wanted to love it. I adore the Light Wonder foundation but this is so different compared to that, I honestly cannot agree with the claims apart from it covering redness as it is a medium to full coverage but the rest of the claims I couldn't disagree more, I hated the way my makeup looked, my skin looked flat and powdery and my lines were extremely visible. In my opinion this foundation would be best used by someone with a normal skin who doesn't suffer with dehydration or dryness, maybe if you have dry skin but use a good hydrating primer it could be ok but any sort of fine lines it will settle into, unfortunately I can't speak for oil control as my skin is very dry and not oily at all but as far as my very dry and dehydrated skin goes this foundation certainly wasn't for me at all and I certainly won't be purchasing a full size, I'll stick to the Light Wonder. 

I do want to mention that my daughter Lissy tried her sample and the foundation looked lovely on her and she really liked it, she has normal skin, no dry patches, no dehydration and no oil just completely normal and very clear skin. 

If you would like to try the Magic Foundation you can find it here from Selfridges or here from John Lewis priced at £29.50 for 30ml. 

Have you tried the Magic Foundation? What did you think?

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

Bobbi Brown Corrector In Light To Medium Bisque

Hello Lovelies, 

Dark under eye circles are something I struggle with I think some of the reason is that I have them is that I have very deep set eyes and also genetics comes into it but also because I don't sleep so I am permanently tired but non the less it's a struggle and one that drives me mad, a few years ago I used the Bobbi Brown Corrector and re purchased it many times but I developed an allergy to it and had to stop using it. Recently I was chatting to my youngest daughter Lissy about dark circles and we started chatting about the corrector and how we both used to like it but haven't used it for a while and we both decided that we'd give it another try. 

I noticed that since I'd last used it the shade range had changed, I used to use Bisque but now that looked too dark and Light To Medium Bisque looked like it was more my shade, I asked my eldest daughter Cole who's a make up artist to check out the shades and she agreed I'd be light to medium bisque so that is the shade I purchased. 

What Bobbi Brown Says About The Corrector

Bobbi Brown claims the corrector is "waterproof, sweat and humidity resistant, long wearing and easy to blend and won't crease" it comes in 16 shades which I think is impressive and Bobbi Brown claim there is a match for everyone within those 16 shades. 

My Thoughts

As soon as I used the corrector and saw the results I remembered why I had previously re purchased it so many times, it is seriously good stuff and does wonders for my dark circles, I have tried a few different ways of applying the corrector and found the best way for me is to apply the corrector under my eyes before any other make up, I apply it with my ring finger and blend it out using a brush to get right into the inner corners of my eyes. I then apply my foundation and lastly my concealer, I find this is the best way of using the corrector for me, I have tried it over my foundation and before concealer but it did crease a tiny bit when I used it that way, it is worth mentioning though I am 42 and also suffer from very dry and de hydrated skin so I do have fine lines due to age and dehydrated skin, if you don't have any fine lines you could use it over foundation without any creasing and as I said the creasing I experienced was minimal but it is worth mentioning, however using it before any of my make up I find works for me with no creasing at all. 

The corrector comes in a small round compact with a mirror inside, the mirror is really handy when applying the corrector and something I didn't think I'd use but did. I can vouch for Bobbi Browns claims of the corrector being long wearing, I wore the corrector the day we went on our summer holiday and applied my make up at around 8pm at night, our taxi came at 1am and our flight was 6am but didn't leave until 7.20am we arrived at our accommodation at midday UK time and my make up was fine despite wearing it for hours, travelling and then the extreme Greek heat which was around 40 degrees if not more, I was extremely impressed and my tiredness which was horrific as you can imagine was well hidden too. The corrector applies well and blends out nicely, it corrects my dark circles perfectly, it is long lasting and doesn't crease, and the best news of all is I haven't had an allergic reaction to it. 

Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase?

I would definitely re purchase the corrector although I would love to try the new Intensive Skin Serum Corrector it looks amazing but I haven't seen it in the flesh so to speak yet but it does look and sound great so I may try it and compare the two but I would and will definitely be re purchasing the corrector it is fantastic and banishes my dark circles, I like the way it applies and doesn't crease and a little goes a long way so I can see it lasting me a long time. It's a fantastic price and I am so glad I tried it out again after all these years and even more pleased I haven't had a reaction, if like me you used to use it and want to try it again check out the shade range as I have change shades so be sure to check that out. 

If you would like to try the Bobbi Brown Corrector you can find it here at House Of Fraser and here at John Lewis and here at Debenhams for £19.00. 

Have you tried the Bobbi Brown corrector? Or have you gone back to a product after a few years and re kindled your love for it? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x