The Real Value of How Much Your Face is Worth

According to Superdrug research us ladies spend a total of £18.049.89 on our faces over the course of our lifetime. They polled 2,000 women as part of an in-depth study looking at expenditure on beauty products, and found that from the age of 18 to 82 the typical female will spend just over £18,000 on products for her face alone.

This means that during the typical year the average woman’s face value is a whopping £279.41 when you have added up the total cost of beauty items such as cleansers, foundations, mascaras and lipsticks. The highest valued item was moisturiser and then foundation.

The most purchased product for women is (and you should hang you heads in shame for this) is face wipes - An average of five packs are brought a year, which equals 323 packs over a course of a lifetime (on the presumption that an adult life span is 64.6 years average).

You can also split this down to the two categories - cosmetics and skincare.

Cosmetics

The figures show women spend a total of £147.46 on make-up products such as foundation, mascara, lipstick and gloss, blusher and bronzer, concealer, eye liner and shadow. This means over her adult lifetime the average woman spends £9,525.91 putting the make-up ON.

 

Skincare

 

An average ladies’ skincare routine is almost as important as her cosmetics, as she spends a total of £131.95 a year, and £8,523.97 a lifetime, on products such as cleanser and toner, moisturisers, eye creams, face masks and wipes.

With the emergence of own brands now started to be just as good (and in some cases much better) than the premium brands, 73% of women said they would of opted for the companies own brand rather than the premium.

This is where huge savings can be made - Superdrug say that if you switched to their own equal in their own brands then an average saving is £172 PER YEAR OR £11,111.02 PER ADULT LIFETIME.

Found this research fascinating and I know it will come in useful for a pub quiz at some point. Please people - no more face wipes.

NOTD - OPI Designer Series in Lapis

When initially saw this is I wanted it, the goldilocks of blues (not too dark, not too light) I was instantly drawn to it enough for it to feature in my AW Wishlist. I then went onto buy it at Olympia Beauty when I saw the swatches they had on stand.

OPI Designer Series is a collection of polishes are a step up from they normal collection, they are holographic or full of fine glitter. The two they launced for AW12 is this one and Pewter (a mix of black/grey), what I didn't realise until I painted them on was they dry completely semi matt, the above picture taken with no top coat.

It went from being something I though was beautiful to something that was challenging Essie's For The Twill of It as my number one AW13 varnish to wear. The wear time is good, was still chip free when I took it off a week later and removal was very easy for a glitter polish.

The Designer Series is more expensive than the main line - RRP is £16.75 compared to RRP £11.50 but for the simple WOW factor it's worth that little bit more investment.

Minilemming Update - Week 29

As most of you have noticed I've been absent over the past week this is no fault of my own (unless you count getting pregnant as my fault). I've been struck down with a water infection which was suspected and then over the weekend progressed to a fever, fainting and lots of front and back pains, this then resulted me being run to the doctors on Monday and put on a course of antibiotics 4 times a day. The side effects were even worse than the infection and decided to spend the time actually doing nothing but sleeping, drinking fluids, taking tablets and generally doing nothing. Today has been the first day I've actually wanted to do anything constructive.

Minilemming however is regularly kicking away like nothing is going on, Midwife cheek at 28 weeks I was told they were 'Perfect' - they are growing as they should be, heartbeat is right on schedule etc. I have what I read as 'normal' symptoms - Heartburn, tiredness, swelling ankles and according to Husband, grumpiness that never left. I now do require help getting of sofas and bending over as bump gets bigger than my chest (I don't have a small chest either).

One of my favourite things to do at night to semi lie down and watch my stomach jggle and move through kicks. My husband however still keeps missing all of this, but as he says there is plenty more time before and after they are here.

Now it is just a matter of counting down the days until I am on maternity leave (16th December) as well as all the prenatal classes. Husband and I are also off to The Baby Show tomorrow to be bombarded with how much bits they think we need. I won the tickets through another blogger (Many Thanks to My Mills Baby) so I'm excited to be going back to Olympia to buy browse round baby bits.

Many thanks to everyone who has tweeted over the past week with get well wishes, it did mean a lot and I know I made the right decision to take a step back for a few days. Not only to feel better but actually enjoy some bonding time with Minilemming.

Oriflame Triple Core 3D Lipstick in Nude Peach

I have an admission to make: I am a very bad beauty blogger, I used this before I even had a chance to photograph the triple rings you get in this lipstick. Please see bad attempt to rectify this below.

Nude nails shock!



This is another discovery from the July Bloggers Meet Up bag, and since has been gracing my lips everyday. The contrasting bands of colour as well as slightly glittery core gives the illusion of fuller lips. To me it gives the looks of lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss in one easily carried tube, with the bonus that it doesn't dry out my lips further.

 

 

The colour is perfect for my tone, the peach is good for the olive tones in my skin but there is slight pink so it doesn't tip into the coral territory. The price is still competitive between the high street and premium, as it is one of the ones I am wearing everyday it would be a re-investment when it finishes.

 

It is £10.95 from Oriflame website or from a local reprehensive.



Sk:n Clinic Laser Hair Removal Treatment

The joy of being a beauty blogger is that I do have complete random conversations that lead to blog posts. This came about by having a conversation with one of my colleagues at my work place who as I was having a bit of a moan to about the combination of hairy legs and baby bump. Her comment to me was, 'You really should of had laser hair removal before.' thus pulling out her hair less (and tanned) legs for closer inspection, I couldn't help but be jealous.

Source

This had been rolling around in my mind for a while, so when Sk:n Clinic contacted me about the services they provide I was eager and interested to take a peek. They have around 40 clinics throughout the UK and in their 20 years of business have served half a million clients. They only employ experienced doctors and staff to ensure the best care is provided. They also governed by Customer Quality Commission (which is the same governing body that assess doctors, care homes and dentists), as well as Independent Health Advisory Service ‘Treatment You Can Trust’ register and regularly work with the British Skin Foundation. Their clinics have also work alongside Channel 4 on my guilty pleasure shows, Embarrassing Bodies.

Consultations can be booked through their website where you would have an initial consultation, this is give a treatment plan, explain and reassure any questions you have on treatment. It is recommended to have a minimum of 6 treatments for body and 4 for the facial, and at the end of treatment you will be pampered to a deep exfoliating glycolic peel to feel fully refreshed.

Aftercare is provided and at the heart do want to provide the best and leading treatments in athestics treatments. Not only am I looking at the Laser Hair Removal, but the Microdermabrasion and skin peels. Something to look forward to after those sleepless nights next year.

To read more about Laser Hair Removal, process of treatment and pricings please go to the Sk:n Clinic Laser Hair Removal Page

*This is a sponsored post, however all my opinions and writing are my own, as well as my desire for a body overhaul once baby is here.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

Stop rolling your eyes, yes I know it is another BB Cream and we are now over them and onto CC creams - just bear with me.

As I have may mentioned a few times before I am a pale skinned woman with a mixed under tone of pink or olive. Every time I get foundation matched I always get put into the wrong undertone, either too pink or too orange. I like the rest of woman kind have been searching for 'the one'.

I got this is my goodie bag from the July Bloggers Meet Up as a 8g sample (which can be purchase on the website for £2 including P&P). I know fellow bloggers have gone crazy for it, so I was happy to get one to try out.

Ginvera is looked after by Janrio Ltd, run by a Rob Lyons from the UK and Jelle de Jong from the Netherlands, who after living in Asia and seeing their cosmetics wanted to bring them to the European market. The Ginvera range is the most popular in South-East Asia after the range first launched in 1985

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream has Green Tea, Ginseng, Chinese Angelica and Hyaluronic Acid. This hydrates, protects (SPF 30) and smooths out skin. What really impressed me was the moment I put it on my skin instantly looked clear but I felt that my skin could breath as it was covered in inches of foundation. I instantly glowed and this lasted throughout the day, I was getting told I looked 'rested' which when you are pregnant can look hard.

I now invested into the full size and won't even consider looking at the another base at the moment, I have honestly been that impressed with it. It is an amazing product and has retuned my faith in the BB Cream fad because this is one of the originals from where the fad started and where pale skin rules.- Asia.

Can be brought from http://www.janiro.co.uk/ prices start at £18 for a 25ml and the sample size can be brought from here as well.

NOTD - OPI's Silent Stars Go By (Mariah Carey Xmas Collection)

This is one of the mini's that are in the box set that is currently in my giveaway (finishes this weekend!).

It is one of the Liquid Sand formulations, it has more of a grittier texture than a 'normal' glitter polish. It does dry out more smoother and has a matt finish. You are to wear it without a top coat and it took all of my will not to do, it is however worth it.

Silent Stars Go By does catch the light and really glitters, which is perfect for the Christmas period. I wore this champagne toned colour to work as it is smart enough to wear but has that little bit of glamour to it.

I know exactly what you are thinking - What is removal like? For something that is filled with glitter, it was surprisingly easy to remove with acetone soaked pads held then rubbed, I would say to take off all 10 nails took about 10 minutes with. I had visions of me being locked in the bathroom for at least half an hour and the husband banging on the door.

I wasn't overcome when the original Liquid Sands came out, but I must admit I'm glad I gave them a try as they have surprised me.

N-SPA Mum-to-be Range

 



I wouldn't of have had this in my life without Danielle from Beauty in Japan pointing them in my direction when they were looking for a pregnant beauty blogger to work with (my huge thanks to  everyone who has done this, I have found some amazing hidden gems thanks to this).

N-PSA in using professional spa inspired formulations but that are affordable for the high street. I know this brand has cause ripples since hitting the beauty blogger scene and I am not honestly surprised. Let's break it down.

Relaxing Bath & Shower Crème £3.50

Rosehip oil, Vitamin E, Shea butter and sweet almond oil are combined to give skin that is soft, clean and delicately fragranced. The best way I can describe the fragrance is a gentle powder scent that doesn't over power which is great when scents make your stomach swirl.

Nourishing Stretch Mark Oil £6.00

This has a combination of Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil Vitamin A and E. It is a lightweight oil that I have found sinks in quickly and leaves no residue behind. I use this twice a day, morning and night, all over bump, bust and thighs. At the moment at week 26, I have had no marks on my skin (this in combination that I have made sure that weight I have put on is steady) for the price I'm impressed by this the most.

Moisturising Bump Butter £6.00

Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil, and vitamin E in a thick butter, I use this once a day in the evening after the Noursing Stretch Mark Oil. Smells like white chocolate which is great when I'm having my chocolate craving. My skin drinks it in, leaving it really soft and more elasticated.

Cooling Leg and Foot Gel £4.00

Peppermint in a Aloe Vera base that soothes hot legs and feet. This was my saviour over the Summer months, as well as having my feet in the air I had this smoothed over my legs/feet. The combination of the two was the biggest relief, and now as I head towards third trimester I'm digging it back out as the swelling has retuned.

I really like this range not only for the price point but because it smells beautiful without making my stomach swirl (certain smells in pregnancy can do that, there have been certain products I've had to giveaway just because the smell was too much). There has not been a range in a while that has lived up to hype around it but is also affordable. I now want to try the rest of the skin care especially the Melting Cleansing Gel.