REVIEW | Natural beauty products with akamuti

One of the best things about being a blogger is getting to try out and discover fantastic new brands. Which is exactly how I feel about akamuti. If I wasn't a blogger, I would never have discovered the brand, and I'd have missed out on some wonderful products. In case you don't know, akamuti is an all-natural brand that doesn't use nasty chemicals, preservatives or additives. The brand try to source ethical and fairly traded ingredients and all of their products are handcrafted in small batches to ensure you receive them fresh. 

Chocolate Marshmallow Face Mask* - £7.96

This was without a doubt the product I was most looking forward to trying out. The powder is a hefty 70g and as you only need to mix a tiny amount in with water, it's going to last you an awfully long time. I wet my face and then massage the powder onto my skin to create a paste. I then leave this face mask on for around 15 minutes and once washed off, my skin is left feeling soft and looking healthy. And of course, it smells delicious. It uses fairtrade organic cocoa, crushed rose petals, nourishing pink clay and softening marshmallow which when combined is great for the skin and great for your nose. 

Buttered Rose & Almond Hand Cream* - £8.00

I absolutely love hand products and this one hasn't let me down. It's a rich cream-gel that combines roses, peach and plum, flower oils of rose and ylang ylang with marzipan to create a delicious aroma. The hand cream itself takes a while to sink into the skin, but once it's absorbed you're left with incredibly soft hands - perfect for those with rough, chapped skin. It's definitely one that's going to be getting a lot of love in the winter.

Aritha Shampoo Powder* - £4.96

This is definitely the strangest product of the bunch. It's shampoo in a powder that uses soap from a tree. Once I've wet my hair, I mix the powder in with water to create a paste and massage this into the scalp. I leave it on for around five minutes and rinse thoroughly with water. At first the process felt very strange as the shampoo doesn't lather, but I soon got used to it. It doesn't leave the hair caked in product or weigh it down, it just leaves it feeling clean, fresh and revitalised. Although this hasn't replaced my love of "normal shampoo," it's definitely a product that I love using as a weekly deep cleansing treat.

Have you tried anything from akamuti before? What's your favourite natural brand?

*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Get a FREE personal training session here

SKIN | Montagne Jeunesse's latest face masks

I do love me a good face mask. There's no better way to relax than laying back in a bubble-filled bath with a book in your hand and a mask on your face. Montagne Jeunesse is a brand that takes me right back to my childhood. A sleepover wouldn't be complete without a couple of the brand's famous face masks thrown in there. Recently, Montagne Jeunesse have released a couple of new face masks to get you prepped and ready for summer.

The first is my favourite. The Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque* has a stand-out black colour that looks scary when it's applied to the skin. Enriched with laver seaweed and crushed sea buckthorn, this face mask deeply cleanses and peels away impurities. Originally, I wasn't looking forward to the scent of this face mask. I have no idea why but I thought it'd smell a bit funny. I was completely wrong though, it smelt beautiful; very refreshing and fruity. I'm a big fan of peel off masks and this one is one that I will continue to purchase as my skin felt clean and refreshed after use.

Second up is the Hot Spring Sauna Masque* which I believed would end up being my favourite. Made with ground volcanic spring powder, ginger and bamboo, this masks deeply cleanses and exfoliates to remove dead cells. On application the mask heats up to draw out impurities and the scent fills the bathroom. It's incredibly fruity and instantly relaxes you. My skin felt beautifully soft afterwards but a couple of hours later, my skin ended up inflammed and sore. First of all I should say that I don't blame this mask. I blame myself. I use an exfoliating face wash morning and evening, so adding an exfoliating face mask to my routine was definitely too harsh for my skin. So don't let my experience put you off as this mask brought a lovely experience to the bath.

These face masks are priced at just £1 each (for a good 4 weeks of use) and available at most drugstores. However, you can browse and buy the entire range on their website. 

What's your favourite face mask? Have you tried any of these ones?
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram
Get a FREE personal training session here

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Vote for me at the Cosmo Blog Awards under "established beauty blog"

SKINCARE | Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask

I do love a good face mask and the latest to my collection is the Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask.* This face mask reaches deep below the surface of the skin which means that my deeper acne scars get a little bit of pampering - definitely good news for them as they tend to feel a bit neglected. As this mask goes further into the skin, it prevents pores being blocked with dead skin cells. This basically means that is refines the pores and makes them look smaller. As well as this, it balances the skin out - moisturises dry patches and mops up any excess oil to leave you with normal looking skin. 

However, the best part about this mask for me is how instant it is. It contains a whitening tri-complex with Azelaic, Glycolic and Lactic Acid which means that it produces a faster cell turnover and lightens pigmentation while brightening the skin. I leave this on for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse away with warm water and tada, I'm left with beautifully soft skin that looks glowing in an instant. Although this mask is expensive, it's one of the few ones that gives you instant results so if you have a big event coming up soon and your skin is looking a little bit congested, I highly recommend giving this one by Dr Sebagh a go.

You can buy this from Harrods here where it retails for £59.00 for 50ml.

Have you tried this face mask before? What's your favourite face mask?
*PR Sample

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here

Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here

The Face Masks | Yon-Ka, Clayspray and Sanctuary

Smothered in chocolate! Left, Clayspray's Mattifying Red Clay Masque once applied and right, once it's dried

A different background today - how fancy! These are the drawers in my bathroom because you know, that's where I keep my face masks. Well, my most loved ones anyway. The ones I don't use very often are stored with the majority of my skincare. Ever since I went to my first sleepover I've been a lover of face masks. I can remember buying the little sachets (we still do this now at university) and slathering them all over our faces to be left with beautifully soft skin. Soft skin is all well and good and it's nice to pamper yourself every now and then but ideally, I like it when I can see a visible difference immediately after I've removed a face mask from my skin. Face masks are so potent meaning that they're wonderful for a quick fix and I've been loving three in particular these past couple of months. Oh and for reference, I have combination skin that is blemish-prone with scarring. My skin tends to be more oily than dry but I do sometimes get dry patches around blemishes.

Yon-Ka GOMMAGE 303* - £32.00

At the moment, I'm very big on exfoliation and I'm someone who prefers chemical exfoliants over the standard manual ones. Yon-Ka is a luxury French skincare brand and their GOMMAGE 303 is marketed as a non-abrasive, botanical scrub. The reason I've included this in a face mask post is because although it does everything a chemical exfoliant does, it feels and acts more like a face mask. To me anyway. I'm probably going to be blacklisted by all skincare addicts now - oops. This product gently removes dead cells to provide clarity for dull complexions. Rich in citrus essential oils, this "mask" has an astringent effect and it's so gentle that you can even use it on your eyelids for a smoothing and toning effect. Once I've washed this off my skin feels soft and hydrated and my complexion looks radiant and glowing.

Clayspray Mattifying Red Clay Masque* - £41.71

As I have combination skin, I've tried a lot of clay masks in my time however, I'm not a big fan of them. I find them drying and they never seem to do anything for the appearance of my skin. This masque has completely changed my mind. Enriched in minerals, the Red Clay Masque regulates oil, combats blemishes and purifies the skin. The deep cleansing properties of this masque are outstanding and once this has dried and been rinsed off of my skin, my pores have been reduced so much that they're practically invisible. It leaves the skin looking matt but glowing and unlike other clay masks, it doesn't dry my skin out at all. Although this is an expensive face mask, I definitely believe that it's worth the price. You only need a small amount and the pore reducing effect lasted me for three days - what a little wonder.

Sanctuary 30 Day Youth Revolution Glycolic Peel-Off Mask - £22.50

This face mask actually comes in a 30 Day Youth Revolution treatment plan that has been professionally developed to allow you to achieve a spa facial at home. Including in the kit is the Glycolic Peel-Off mask, a brush to apply it with and a serum. I don't use the serum as I have many that I already love but this face mask is incredible. The kit itself helps to combat the signs of ageing by removing a layer of dead skin cells to improve firmness and tone the skin. Essentially, this is a peel off mask which is satisfying in itself but it also contains the wonder ingredient Glycolic Acid. Glycolic Acid is an AHA and it does a fantastic job at exfoliating the skin and revealing a brighter complexion. I use this once a week and after I've peeled the mask off, my skin looks brighter and more radiant. I also believe that this is helping with my acne scarring so you know, can't complain about that one.

I'm most definitely a skincare addict and face masks give me a lot of joy. Because of this, I'd love to know your favourites. I've heard a lot of good things about the amie face masks recently so I definitely think I'm going to have a little look at them on my next beauty shop.

What's your favourite face mask?
*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram
Make sure you enter my giveaway here

Do you have a few spare pennies? Check out my Blog Sale here
Want to attend the Lincoln blogger meet up? Find out more information here

FAVOURITE: Face Masks

There's nothing like giving your skin a little pamper every now and then. I tend to do this twice a week when I'm feeling a little bit stressed out and it's showing in my skin. I have a variety of face masks that all do different things. My skin is combination which means that at times it can be really oily and other times it can be extremely dry. So I like a mixture of face masks that I can quickly grab depending on my skin needs.

Superfacialist Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask* £8.99

This is probably my least favourite mask out of them all. Not because it's bad; it's not. But just because I have so many clay masks and they all tend to do the same thing. They draw impurities out of the pores, refine the pores, clear the skin of dirt and excessive oils and help with breakouts. The reason that this one is different though is because it contains avocado oil rich in Vitamins A, D and E with Acacia Honey which means that this face mask doesn't leave the skin feeling tight and dry afterwards. It balances my combination skin perfectly leaving me shine-free but nourished.

Trilogy Purifying Masque* £18.50

This is another clay mask. It contains Witch Hazel which clarifies, tones and helps to banish blemishes. This mask also contains Rose Geranium oil to soothe the skin and certified organic Rosehip oil to nourish the skin so like the mask mentioned about, it also balances and moisturises the skin at the same time as purifying and clarifying it.

Dirty Works Vitamin C Face Mask* £4.99

This is a wonder mask. It's an exfoliating mask that smells like oranges. What's not to love? It contains Vitamin C and superfruit extracts of Pomegranate and Goji which all work together to clean away dirt and pollutants from the surface of the skin. After I've washed this off, my skin looks fresher, cleaner and brighter. I'd compare it to the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask but for a third of the price. They're not the same consistency - the Liz Earle isn't exfoliating - but the end results are exactly the same.

Superfacialist Neroli Lifting Treatment Mask* £10.99

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that yesterday I posted a picture of a reaction I'd had to this face mask. I'd just like to say that my skin just ended up red for a little while. It didn't irritate my skin in anyway whatsoever and this is one of my favourite face masks. It's deeply hydrating and contains Hyaluronic Acid which is known for its ability to retain water and stimulate collagen. The consistency of this mask is strange - it's a gel formula. After I've washed this off my skin is left glowing with radiance and it looks and feels healthy.

Superfacialist Rose Intense Moisture Mask* £8.99

If you know me then you'll know that I hate the smell of rose. However, the rose in this mask is subtle and I really like it. When my skin reacted badly to the Dior serum, I used this and the Rose Cleanser to calm my skin down. Whenever I break out, my skin ends up being really painful. And when I reacted my skin was so bad that I couldn't lie down. This calmed my skin and whenever my skin was feeling really painful, I'd apply this and it'd be soothed instantly. It contains White Willow extract which enhances skin cell turnover, Vitamin E and Urea with soothing Marshmallow extract which hydrates, plumps and replenishes skin.

So as you can see, I'm obsessed with the Superfacialist range. It's quickly becoming one of my favourite skin care brands. I'd also love to try out some acid face masks so leave me your recommendations in the comments if you have any. What are your favourite face masks?

xxx

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Want to advertise on Bamboozle Beauty? Find out how to here
Enter my giveaway to be in with a chance of winning one of 10 magazine subscriptions

REVIEW: Montagne Jeunesse

At the moment I'm absolutely loving packet face masks. A few days ago I spoke about the Mudd face masks and you can view that post here. And today, I'm going to be rambling on about the much loved Montagne Jeunesse face masks (just don't ask me how to pronounce that word).

I saw these in Home Bargains where you could buy 3 of them for £2 but they're also available in places like Superdrug, Boots and online. The links I've included are from their website as they have the full range available on there whereas other websites don't.

I'll start with my favourite - the Hot Chocolate Self Heating Face Mask - £1.09. This product is an absolute gem. First of all, it smells beautiful - like Terry's Chocolate Oranges and I just love applying it my skin and embracing the scent. It's truly relaxing and just what I need after a long day. I then love the way it heats up by itself when you apply it onto your skin. By doing this, the mask draws out all impurities in the skin and nicely washes them away. I also love the fact that although it's a clay mask it doesn't try like your typical ones do. It stays nice and wet on the skin and therefore doesn't dry your skin out but instead plumps it out and leaves it feeling moisturised and looking soft. I'm yet to use the Chocolate Masque - £1.09 but I'll probably use it soon and as soon as I do, I'll report back. I think it's the same idea as the other two masks with it being clay based so it'll draw impurities out of the skin and also tighten the pores. The White Chocolate Face Mask - £1.09 is really lovely. Unlike the hot chocolate mask this one does dry like typical clay masks so it's great for combination skin. I found that after using this my pores were a lot tighter and my skin looked brighter and more plumped up. It moisturised my skin in a way that wasn't greasy at all and it was easy to wash away.

So like I said originally, I've fallen in love with packet face masks. Whenever I'm in Boots I will always go over to the face masks to see what they have on offer and I also find myself looking in places like the Pound Shop or Home Bargains as they do a great range. What do you think of packet face masks?

xxx

REVIEW: Mudd Facial Masks

Recently, I was sent a beautiful pink box full of goodies to leave my skin looking (and feeling) as beautiful and as fresh as a daisy - this is good PR at its finest, just saying. The box came with 3 packs of Mudd facial masks. These are the original face masks to be honest. There's a mask to suit every skin type and these are a great way to relieve every day stresses and strains. The range includes 3 varieties each with a non-comedogenic formula which may help protect against dry, dull or blemish prone skin all without clogging pores.

Mudd Original Mask - this is a deep pore cleansing treatment that contains 100% pure clay that has been specially formulated with minerals to help absorb excess oil and tighten the skin - leaving you virtually poreless, hurray! After I'd use this I found my skin to be squeaky clean, blackhead free and like I said earlier, pretty much poreless which is a dream come true. I also found that my t-zone was a lot less oily for around 2-3 days after I'd used it. It's also not as drying as some clay masks that I'd tried.

Mudd Sea Mask - this is a mask that provides natural hydration for tired looking skin. It blends a unique formula of natural marine protein with extracts of sea kelps, seaweed and Irish moss which is designed to help provide hydration and recovery - eek. Sounds a bit, fishy there but I can assure you that it smells fresh. I really love this mask, it's probably my favourite. My skin is dull and most of the time, it looks tired so although I have combination skin, I found this mask wonderful for perking my skin up and leaving it looking and feeling refreshed and revitalised. 

Mudd Peel Off Mask - this is a mask which is designed to leave you with a fruity glow. It combines extracts of ginseng, zesty lemon peel, grapefruit and cooling cucumber gets rid of dead skin cells and exfoliates the skin in just 15 minutes. After using this, my skin felt smooth, looked clearer and I had no blackheads. I love peel off masks because they're so easy to use - you don't even need water. They're also fun and for me, these feel like 'true face masks' on the skin as you simply peel them off. I remember using them at sleepovers when I was a little girl.. cute!
These facial masks are affordable yet indulgent. And they come in convenient single use sachets as well as re-sealable five application packs and for original mask, a ten application pack is also available. With prices starting from £1.01 and going now higher than £5.10, I highly recommend that you all go down to your local Boots, Superdrug or Asda and pick up a back to try. Right now. Why are you still reading? Go! Your skin will definitely thank you for it.
Have you tried these face masks before?
xxx
*PR Sample but I've since been out and bought more!

GLAMGLOW Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask Review

I briefly mentioned GlamGlow here and promised that I'd do a full review of this product and here it is.

I only have the sample/travel sized version of this product and the full size actually comes in a tub so all you have to do is dip your fingers inside it and pull out as much product as you need. I think the full packaging looks better but the sample sized packaging is a lot more practical as I prefer squeezing products out of tubes. This product is a face mask and a scrub in one which has done a lot before but there's something special about this. It started off by being used on Hollywood film sets and more recently, it's made its way to the UK and I'm so glad that is has done. I apply this to my skin, let it set which takes about 10 minutes then add water to exfoliate my skin, wash it off and the results are just incredible. It's very hard to explain how this mask does it but it does. My skin looks glowing, bright and clear. It hasn't broken me out and I've used it about 3 times since receiving it. It's absolutely wonderful and is a great boost for your skin that doesn't just last for a few hours - the glow lasts for around 3 days on average. It really is a wonder product but the only downside is the price. A small 15ml tub retails for £19.99 and the bigger 50ml retails for £49.99 which is very expensive. But don't get me wrong, it's worth the price and when I'm older and hopefully rich, I will be purchasing this constantly. But for a poor student like me, it's no good. So I'm currently cherishing this sample and only using it as and when I need. And seeing as it's June and half way until Christmas, this will definitely be making its way onto my Christmas list.

Have you tried this product before? What are your thoughts on it?

You can view the GlamGlow website and buy the product here.

xxx

*PR Sample

SKINCARE ROUTINE: Face Masks

First of all I'd like to apologise for the picture of the face scrub in this picture. There's an extra's post coming soon and I got the face mask and face scrub mixed up.

Dirty Works Belle of the Ball Face Mask* - £3.32
This face mask is a clay mask which draws impurities out of the skin and also helps to minimise my pores. It smells incredible and doesn't dry the skin out at all which I love. It's a really great quick fix for pores and I use this before going out on nights on so my make up applies flawlessly.

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask* - £14.00
This is just like the Dirty Works face mask except it's a lot thinner and less drying. It's definitely a luxurious product which leaves skin feeling beautiful and looker brighter and clearer. This also reminds me of the sweet cola bottles which is cool because it takes me back to my childhood. 

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask* - £14.25
Sometimes my skin gets dry so I use this whenever I need to add moisture back into my skin. Also, my spots sometimes hurt and this really nourishes and soothes them down. It's recommended for more normal/dry skin but it works wonderfully on my oily skin too and balances it great.

Boots Tea Tree & Witchhazel Peel Off Face Mask - £2.99
This is just a standard peel off face mask that combats shine, enlarged pores and blemishes without drying the skin out.

xxx

*PR Sample