LuxStyle Blackhead Killer - A Review.

A few months ago there were quite a few reviews of this product, the PR machine had obviously been in overdrive sending out samples.  I decided to treat myself to try and repair my skin after the disastrous skin peel I had several weeks back.

Was the Blackhead Killer up to the challenge?

As well as the clogged pores and blackheads I already suffered on my nose and chin, I now seem to have a permanent crop of whiteheads on my chin and forehead.  The now permanently raised and clogged pores on my cheeks feel like sandpaper.

At £14.95 for 5 sachets, the stuff is not cheap, but if it works then it is worth it.

The mask itself is thick and black and gloopy (if you have been watching Helix, that is quite a similar look), but has quite a pleasant smell.

You spread it all over the areas that you want to cover, I would avoid any sensitive areas and you look like this.

It says on the packet to leave it for 10 minutes, but it still felt a bit damp so in the end I left it for 15 minutes.

Then you peel it off.

It does stick to your face very well and therefore takes a bit of peeling, it feels like your face is stretching for miles.  If you peel carefully enough and your skin is as congested as mine is, you can actually see little plugs of gunk adhering to the inner side of the peel, with the peel being black they show up particularly well.  You can also see the little bits of gunk if you turn the peel you have removed over, as you can on a pore strip.

It is impossible to peel off hair, but a quick wipe with a warm flannel soon takes care of any remaining peel.

My skin does feel better, it looks brighter too, I am disappointed that the whiteheads do not appear to have been removed although a lot of the blackheads have.  My sandpaper cheeks, whilst certainly not yet smooth, feel much better but how temporary this improvement is remains to be seen.

Soap & Glory Sit Tight 4D - A Review

I had heard a lot about this product and so when it was on offer in Boots I decided to give it a go.  I like to try new things when they are on offer, if I consider it worthwhile, then I will pay full price.

The tube comes in a nice shiny box, and it feels fairly weighty.  The cream is pale pinky-orange and has a pleasant smell to it.

It is recommended that you apply it twice a day, allowing time for the cream to soak in to your skin before getting dressed.

Within 24 hours I could actually see a difference in my inner thighs, the folds of flab were starting to smooth out.  I am now into my second week of using it and I can now see a difference in the cellulite on my outer thighs.  Whilst my thighs are still very obviously covered in cellulite, they are look a lot, lot smoother.

I do wish I had taken some before photos now, but the sceptic in me was convinced that it wasn't going to work!

The cream is applied with three metal balls on the end of the tube, these have the effect of massaging the cream into the skin.

Pros

• It works!  I am never going to be cellulite free, but my legs do look so much better now.
• It smells lovely.
• It heats up.  A lot.  Which would be fab for winter mornings.  I guess this helps with the cream soaking into the cellulite.

Cons

• I could have done with at least 1 more hand to make sure that I covered everywhere, a partner or willing friend could help here!
• There is a lot of bruising from the metal balls.  I wasn't expecting this I have to say. However it was all on my left side, as I am right handed it may just be that I was pressing too hard with my left hand.
• Because of the shape of the tube, it is impossible to get all the cream out via the balls, I had to cut the tube open to get the last bits out, and there was probably a good two days cream left.

The cons are minor and can be worked around.  When I have finally emptied this tube I will wash it and keep it so that I can use it to apply the last bits of the next tube.

I am glad that I finally got around to trying this, and I will definitely be buying it again, even at full price.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It.

As some of you will know, I decided this exam sitting to stay over in Birmingham when I have weekend classes as it would be so much easier than trying to get over on a Sunday.

I asked for some recommendations of places to stay and also consulted Trip Advisor.  I settled on the Lionel Street Hotel, which at the time of booking was a Holiday Inn Express.  I booked the five separate nights that I needed at a total cost of £202.  

I arrived the first weekend after my Saturday course and the hotel felt so welcoming.  The staff were excellent and check in was quick and painless.  The room was clean and well appointed, in fact the mattress on the bed was so thick I could have done with a step ladder.  My only complaint was that the room was too warm. and frankly, that really cannot be counted as complaint as I am used to an unheated bedroom.

Breakfast was a self service buffet, but there was so much choice; fruit, cereals, cooked breakfast, bread for toasting, pastries, rolls, lots of tea, coffee and fruit juice.

I discovered last weekend that the hotel was becoming an Ibis Style hotel, but I really didn't think it would make much difference.

I was wrong.

As soon as I walked through the front door, it just felt wrong and I thought 'I don't want to be here'.  I don't claim to be psychic or have special powers, but I am sensitive to atmospheres, and this just felt 'not right'.

There was a queue for check in, and it was not moving.

There was a man trying to check in a group, it was either a stag weekend or a birthday, and despite him having all the paperwork, they were adamant that he had only booked two rooms, not four.  He was still at the desk when I eventually checked in.

I had made these bookings over a month ago, and they were all fully paid, but for some reason I had to leave a £25 deposit on my credit card in case of damages, this was to be refunded once I had checked out, the room had been assessed and a communication sent to my credit card provider.  In other words, probably just in time for the next weekend I have booked there.

I eventually made it to my room to find that my key card would not work, so back to the queue at reception I went (the man trying to check his party in was STILL there), my card was reset and I tried again.

This time it worked and my room was pretty much a duplicate of the one I had had the previous weekend.

I noticed a door stop on the floor by the television shelf and thought it was a random place to put a door stop.  Then I realised that the room had a connecting door with the next room.  In such a huge hotel, why would you put a single female in a room with a door that connects to a stranger's room?

The breakfast was nearly as good as the Holiday Inn Express offering, but not quite.

But it all just felt wrong, to the point that I was thinking about cancelling the remaining bookings and losing the money.  Still, only three to go.

The walk up cost is £129 per room per night, which is a good £100 more than it should be.  

It is also described as 'all inclusive'.  Now I may be wrong, but I understand all inclusive to mean bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and all local drinks, not just bed and breakfast.  

Despite the fact that it is only about two minutes walk from my training provider, I think for next sitting, I will be looking elsewhere.