January 2017 | The Lavender Barn

Monday, 30 January 2017

Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub

Hi Gorgeous,

If you love all things natural and organic then Sukin really is the brand for you, this Australian owned company use nothing nasty in their products at all and are so reasonably priced they make goodness totally affordable.

In these days where we all rave about super greens It was a joy to see that Sukin had produced a range, I have used The Sukin Body Scrub previously which you can read Here I loved this so much it actually got completely finished which is pretty unusual in this house ! I was desperate to try out this new facial scrub, as you know I am obsessed by exfoliation as I really think it's the very best way to make your skin work harder to constantly re new itself, therefore always looking fresher, there is nothing more ageing than dull lack lustre skin, and no amount of make up will improve the look.

Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub

With it's delicious fresh almost Cranberry fragrance, the tiny Jojoba beads and ground bamboo slough away dead skin cells, with the inclusion of Spirulina, Kale, Chlorella and parsley act to deliver the antioxidants the skin needs to banish impurities, Pineapple Liquorice and lime peel help towards giving your skin a glowing radiance.

You really don't need a huge amount of this product for it to work it's magic and the 125 ml size will last you ages, at 9.99 it's worth every penny.

All Sukin products are packed in recyclable packaging and contain No Sulphates or Parabens, are 100% Vegan and are not tested on animals.

Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub Here with Free Delivery.

Lyn 💋

Nip & Fab Half Price

Hi Loves

I don't usually use the blog to bring you special offers, but this one I just had to share, If you have ever wanted to try out Nip & Fab then now is the time, these prices are crazy, the cleanser is down to £3.97.

I have been desperately meaning to try the Glycolic Fix Night Pads and have never got round to it, but they are now less than half price at £5.97.

My little haul of Nip & Fab is now on it's way :)

Find all these bargains HERE

Lyn 💋

Aldi Lacura Caviar 3 Minute Peel Mask

Hi Gorgeous,
My Love for Aldi beauty continues and to be fair I have not yet found a product that I don't like.

Aldi Lacura Caviar Illumination 3 Minute Cell Renewal Peel Mask is Aldi's version of La Prairie Cellular 3 Minute Peel Mask at the ripe old price of £153.00 I have looked at the ingredients on both of these products and to be perfectly honest there is not much difference between the two, but I would expect for the price La Prairie would contain higher values of the ingredients, I have not tried La Prairie ( no shock there ) so cannot do a comparison on usage.

At £6.99 this mask is unbelievable value for something that is totally brilliant, if you have sensitive skin I do recommend that you do a patch test of the mask as it is no lightweight product, this is serious skincare even though it is as cheap as chips.

3 minutes needs to be the maximum time you would keep this on, it will literally eat away dead skin cells leaving your skin soft, fresh and brighter looking, paint the mask onto damp skin with the brush included, avoid eye and lip area's leave for max 3 minutes and remove with warm water and a cloth, this is lovely to apply it is almost like painting moisturising cream onto your skin, it isn't at all runny or drippy and stays in place until you are ready to remove it. Once or twice a week is all that is needed.

Aldi Lacura Caviar 3 Minute Peel Mask

I have tested a few exfoliation masks recently and have to say this is one of the very best at a crazy bargain price.

Whenever I do an Aldi review I get lots of messages saying that the products are a nightmare to get hold of, this problem is now solved by Aldi being online and with FREE delivery.

Do you Love Aldi as much as me ?

Lyn 💋

Joan Collins Glorious Lip Gloss

Hi Love

I don't know about you but the current trend for Matte Lips is really not for me, I look dull and the lip lines are just highlighted in most cases, I do love the liquid metallics, but my real love of gloss remains, Joan Collins Beauty was new to me in 2016 and really is becoming a bit of a love affair, you can read my previous reviews HERE

Joan Collins Glorious Lip Gloss

I cannot tell you how many glosses I have bought in the past only to discover the colour on the tube is a complete miss match to what's inside and usually end up with nothing better than almost clear gloss, this lipgloss is just a joy, the colour of the tube is the exact colour inside, the pigmentation is one of the best I have ever found in a lip gloss, it is literally like applying liquid silk, and in terms of wear we all know that glosses are notoriously temporary and you can find yourself
re-applying every half an hour, not with this ! of course I am not saying it will last you the whole day, but you are looking at a good couple of hours, even with drinking. It also has brilliant moisturising qualities so as well as looking great it's also doing good.

Joan Collins Glorious Lip Gloss

As always with Joan Collins Beauty the packaging is elegant, classy and very expensive looking ( although the prices aren't ) so in truth you wont mind getting this out in public.

This swatch is one swipe of the wand. Shade Ava

Check out

Have you tried Joan Collins Timeless Beauty ?

Love Lyn 💋

DHC Gel Pencil Eyeliner

Hiya Darlin

A bit like Arnie "I'm Back " with my love for DHC the Japanese brand that brings us not only great skincare but surprisingly great make up, I say surprisingly as I am sure it isn't a brand that you would usually *go to* when thinking of make up, although I do think that once you have tried them they really will make you sit up and take notice, I could be talking totally out of turn here but my opinion of using various DHC products is that you don't need to be a make up artist or even be great at make up to make these products work, the Q10 foundation is amazing.

Here we are talking about a new release for DHC, Gel Pencil Eyeliners, I would love to tell you that I am an eyeliner lover, I love the look of it on other people but quite frankly I am so cack handed I cant get that perfect line and flick grrrr, in fairness I do think it is nigh on impossible to achieve on mature ( old) eyes, that said this is where these new liners really do come into their own, if you are a full on liner and flick lady this is a winner, but if like me, you are a liner horror then these gel liners are brilliant they allow you to line but smudge for a much softer look, they are easy to use and totally forgiving.

DHC Gel Pencil Eyeliner

When these arrived, in typical me style I had to do a little scribble on the back of my hand, WELL !!! I did this first thing before jumping in the shower, busy washing my hair, rinsing, conditioning, rinsing I spotted my scribbles were still in place ! It was only when I purposely removed it with shower gel did it budge, pretty impressive huh ? I have fallen in love with the brown liner as for me it is much softer and more suited to my colouring, if you like a bit of drama in your life, then the black is definitely for you.

Twist up design saves the horrors of sharpening, who can ever lay their hands easily on a good sharpener ?

Check out the DHC Skincare website these will be available in February 2017

Lyn 💋

ISUN Phyto-Infusion + ISUN Intense Ultra Restore

Hi My Lovely Reader
This is my first time trying anything from ISUN but as regular readers know I do love a brand with a story, and ISUN do have a lovely story with the founder Bunnie Gullick creating the company in her 50s (read it here )

When I started out with the brand as I always do I start with the product before I investigate prices etc, to me price is not an indication of quality nowadays when it comes to skincare. Since working with the products I have now come to learn that they are not cheap ! indeed they are an investment into your skincare routine at £125.00 for 30ml Phyto-Infusion and £110.00 for 30ml Intense Ultra Restore this is definitely not small change.

These products come in dark glass pump bottles designed to protect them from light and contamination,

ISUN Phyto-Infusion + ISUN Intense Ultra Restore

Phyto-Infusion Facial Serum

A lightweight creamy coloured serum with a fragrance that to me resembles both flowers and herbs, a clean fresh almost salon type fragrance, typically what you would expect from a natural product.
The bottle reads Facial Serum with revitalising stem cells and DNA Protective Phytoplankton on Googling Phytoplankton it is Marine Cells, unfortunately there is nothing on the website that explains ingredients or compositions.

You apply 2-3 pumps of the serum to clean dry skin both morning and night it is then followed by 2 pumps of;

ISUN Phyto-Infusion + ISUN Intense Ultra Restore

Intense Ultra Restore

A facial oil containing Vitamin C, CoQ10 and Carotenes ( info from the bottle )
This is a rich fragrant oil with a distinct herbal fragrance you are advised to use 2 pumps over the Phyto-Infusion or for a lighter application 2 pumps of each mixed together, I found mixing them worked far better for me as I don't have extremely dry skin and found using the two on top of each other left my skin too oily for make up application. This method is to be used both day and night.

Both are designed for Mature Skin.

I very much liked both of these products in their own right and mixed together was the method that worked best for me, my skin was left feeling moisturised and comfortable with no redness or reactions, while I would say they are nice products the lack of transparency concerns me somewhat, I like to know 100% what ingredients in what quantities are going onto my skin, You do obtain a whole comprehensive list of ingredients with your purchase which is great, but for my money I would like to see this in advance of parting with my hard earned cash.

Update: I contacted the Brand for more information as in all honesty I didn't understand what "Wild-crafted " Meant and I was also looking for Organic certification, they very kindly answered me with this, as you will read, ISUN goes above and beyond Organic, which is really something very new to me.

Wild-crafted plants are harvested from natural habitats untouched by humankind. Generally, the soils are abundant with life from both the animal and mineral kingdoms that optimally support their growth.

All ISUN products are formulated and developed by founder Bunnie Gulick. They are manufactured in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado using cold pressing techniques in green manufacturing practises. ISUN do not outsource any part of the making of their products to an independent manufacturer.

ISUN products have no organic certification and there is purpose in this... Wild-crafted plants are the truest organic plants and of higher value than cultivated organically grown plants, though there is no certification for wild-crafted that would make them ‘politically correct’. When they are available, our first choice of ingredients for ISUN products are wild-crafted plants because of their exceptionally high life-force energy, their higher nutrient values and their purity. These qualities combined offer the greatest benefits to the health and youth of our skin, body, mind and spirit.

Discover more about ISUN Alive and Ageless Skincare HERE

Lyn 💋

DHC Quick Film Smoother

Hi Loves
Now you are probably wondering what on earth is a Quick Film Smoother ? well let me explain. You know how it is when some days when your face just won't play nice ? it insists on looking old and tired no matter how fanatical you have been with your skincare and foundation application ?

DHC the marvel from Japan have the answer to all our prayers, well almost, I still don't own a house in Spain but you can't have it all :)
This amazing golden tube of fabulousness literally smooths away fine lines and creases, obviously it's not Botox and if you have some deep worry lines it wont fix those but what it will do is give you a completely softened almost airbrushed look to diffuse the appearance of tiredness and little fine lines.

DHC Quick Film Smoother

Apply your skincare as usual and as the final step tap a tiny amount of product to where you think you need help, eyes, forehead etc; apply foundation or base of your choice, although I do take this one extra step and apply a tiny bit more over my foundation I include above my top lip in this routine. it leaves the tube white, applies clear is fragrance free and works somehow without the egg white tightening effect you get with similar products, it feels comfortable to use and doesn't flake off.

DHC Quick Film Smoother is available here

I can see this making it's way into my 2017 favourites list already. You can read my other DHC reviews HERE

Love Lyn 💋

SKINN Dimitri James Hand Restore

Winter ! don't even get me started about this season, I know some people love it and we get bombarded with visions of woolly socks, chunky knit throws and large cream filled mugs of hot chocolate, but my reality is that the sooner it's gone the better. Give me a beach and flip flops any day in preference to de-icing a car !

I personally suffer with a few issues in this delightful season, hair that wont behave in the damp, dry skin and hands that need constant protection as this weather kills them. Let me be honest here, I am rubbish at applying hand cream and looking after them as well as I should, shoot me now, I don't oil my cuticles nightly ! The problem I have with hand cream is that I hate to wear rubber gloves, in fact I don't wear them at all and I do love household bleach, I know it's a bad combination, however...........I am a bit long in the tooth to suddenly become perfect, so I do rely on products that compensate for my lack of care :)

SKINN Dimitri James Hand Restore

SKINN by Dimitri James is a brand that I have written about before and you can read that post here if you are curious. This time I was lucky enough to try out Hand Restore which really does what is says on the tube ( Restore ) This rich hand cream gives you a water resistant barrier as well as magically repairing any signs of dryness and whitening pigmentation ( age spots ) to you and me. It works, you need to allow it a couple of minutes to absorb, you are then supplied with a cream that wont rinse of every two seconds and protects your hands from chemicals. win, win.

This well known US brand is available here in the UK directly from Ideal World TV HERE

Love n Hugz
Lyn 💋

Below The Belt Grooming For Men

Hiya Darlins

As I am writing this post I have next to me a very large box of tissues, no I am not upset, but I do cry a lot when laughing !

Male anatomy is not something you would in all honesty expect me to write about ever, it is not something that (pops up) on my radar and as old fashioned as it may seem to the modern girls out there, is not something that I honestly believe to be a conversation for women unless we are alone and fuelled by copious amounts of Prosecco. However, my grandaughter and I were minding our own biz recently when an advert came on TV that we thought was a joke, so much so she re wound and recorded to send to her friend, she is 22 by the way, not my lil grandaughter (phew) this amused me no end and I put the clip on Twitter which started a little bit of banter with us ladies of a certain generation, long story short, this led the brand to offer me the product to trial, and whilst I am a very brave woman who likes to think she has balls, in fact I don't have a real pair so used Mr LB as my testicle Guinea pig.

On discussing this area with him, I discovered that Men do often have a problem down below, with dare I say LOL dampness, and this in turn leads them to be uncomfortable and sometimes sore in the lower regions. ( well who knew ? )

Apparently it's not just a problem when doing sports as you would imagine, it's quite common for anyone doing manual work or sitting all day, him indoors is a Tree surgeon and has to wear really grotty chain saw trousers of a fabric that is nothing like silk and as such was delighted to test these out for me, much to the amusement of his mates at work, YES he did tell them all and sent pictures of the products !

Gonads, Crown Jewels, nuts, knackers, bollocks, balls I could go on :) whatever your man calls his and trust me they do have names for things ! they are going to love these products.

Q ....Why do men name their Penis ?..........

A.....Because they like to be on first name terms with the decision maker in their lives.

Below The Belt Grooming For Men

A spray product that is aimed to clean them when a shower is not available, ie: festival or sporting event etc, Mr loved the idea of being able to give them a freshen up during the day midst daily showering, apparently it helps them feel clean and fresh..........reaches again for tissue LOL

Below The Belt Grooming For Men

A balm for areas that get chaffed, ideal for runners and sports addicts but apparently also for the groin area that even in non sporty types can get sore and uncomfortable. This he claims was great but would really come into it's own in the Summer months when the region gets a bit tacky. ewwwww

THIS !!!!!!!!!!!! I believe is the wonder product of the whole range, now bare with me girls you may want to buy this for yourself !

When these products arrived we sat on the couch discussing the topic while I tested the bits n bobs on the back of my hand, THIS felt to me like the best silkiest primer I had ever felt, so proceeded to try it on my face !! yes, yes, I know it puts the term "bollock chops" into play, but it had to be done LOL
It was amazing, honest to god just fabulous, dry & silky with no white film, apart from me finding a new use for it, my tester absolutely loved it, and now won't be without it. In case you are wondering, I declined the shout of FEEL how soft they are !

Trust me babe I will take your word for it.

On a serious note, yep I can be ! I am amazed that there is a range of products out there to solve a problem Men have apparently had for years, no wonder it sold out online at Boots within the first two weeks ! the prices are a whole lot lower than I would ever have expected which is amazing as it means it can be something they pick up along with the usual can of deodorant.

P.S no more talc thrown all over your clean bathroom.

Thanks Below the Belt Grooming you have now added to my regular shopping list.

Thoughts ? I am sure you have some, let me know in the comments section :)

Lyn💋

AlphaH Beauty Sleep Power Peel

Hiya Gorgeous Face

I honestly don't know where to start with this, my love for this brand is totally off the scale ever since my first outing with Liquid Gold. And you know my love of all things peeling and exfoliating !

For those of you that don't know AlphaH as a company please please do look at the website, and if you ever fly with British Airways pick up the limited edition AlphaH Liquid Gold 50ml size that is available to BA passengers, I promise you with everything holy that you will become an Alpha addict, I would like every one of you to come to my house for a quick wipe over with this magical liquid just to see what I mean. Anyway this post isn't about Liquid Gold it is all about Beauty Sleep Power Peel with 0.5% Retinol.

AlphaH Beauty Sleep Power Peel

This is no mamby pamby product it really is skincare at it's absolute finest, a powerhouse of active products that literally munch away dead skin cells and boost the skins ability to re-new and repair itself. Whilst AlphaH are synonymous for the anti ageing label, I would say this peel is for anyone that wants, brighter, clearer non congested skin, it works to repair pigmentation, acne scars and kills off dry cells overnight, it literally eats them up ( yum )

KEY INGREDIENTS

14% Glycolic Acid
0.5% Retinol
Chronodyn
Hydranov-P
Axolight
Fruit Enzymes

Used twice a week on clean skin at night, you will have instant gratification from the very first application, applying from the decolletage upwards covering neck and face in upwards circular motions ( avoid eye areas) you may feel a very slight tingle ( I love this bit ) to me it's the ingredients getting to work, sleep in your Peel and just see the difference in the morning, I find this especially good if I go through a run of not sleeping too well, as in the morning there are no signs of a rough night.

with Free Delivery

Are you an AlphaH Lover ? please do let me know what products you have tried.

Love n Hugz
Lyn 💋

10 joys of being an " Older Woman "

I don't have to keep up with what Cosmo says I need to wear
I don't have to show everyone hysterical clips on my phone every 30 seconds
I don't have to swipe to get a boyfriend
I feel no pressure to be out of the house every Friday night
I don't care who went where or who has what
I don't need sky blue pink lips coz MAC tells me so
I have learned that a designer bag will not keep you off Prozac
I can have one non perfect brow without a breakdown
I can say I want to holiday without children without being Mum cursed
Just for luck.........I can write stupid lists just to amuse myself.

Lyn 💋

Heaven Skincare Bee Peel

Hi Loves

by now you know my mad passion for exfoliation and I have to admit to always wanting a full on salon peel, but have been afraid of the recovery look and time, when I was offered this Bee Peel from Heaven Skincare I thought it would be pretty good as I had used a product previously from Heaven ( Silver Bee Venom Mask ) which you can read here This product is described as Face Lift in a jar ! well that sentence worked for me.

Let me start with the packaging, as always from Heaven it is truly beautiful, from opening the box to discovering the container everything about this brand screams luxury, and so it should this mask retails at £109.00 for 50ml but when you consider a 30 minute average clinic peel starts at £60.00 for one session the price of this jar is a bargain. To be honest I didn't take it as seriously as I probably should have, this is serious shizz, not to be underestimated, the instructions tell you to use this product for 2 minutes if you have sensitive skin, I did not think my skin was even slightly sensitive so ignored the stinging sensation on application ( it is normal for a Bee product ) and left the product on for a full 15 minutes, and to be honest couldn't wait to remove it, the stinging did not subside. What I should have done is a sensitivity test 24 hours prior to doing a full face mask, then I would have only waited the two minutes before removing.

Heaven Skincare Bee Peel

On removing the mask my skin was pretty amazing, although highly coloured I wasn't worried as I thought it would settle by morning, in the morning I discovered that my stupidity at leaving it longer than I should have resulted in tiny blisters around my bottom lip and chin, that said my skin was pretty glowing, soft and visibly different. Not one to be deterred a couple of weeks later I was back again applying the product, same sting but this time for 2 minutes, NOW this is how to do it, the same high colour, the same visible results in the morning, but with no skin damage at all.

Given my first experience I was not particularly happy but in fairness to the product it was my fault for underestimating it's abilities, the second time round was how it should be done properly. Used correctly this Peel will give you salon results in the comfort of your own home.

Check out the Heaven website here

Lyn 💋

Skin Chemists Advanced Caviar Range

Hello Darlins

When you think of Caviar it's either a love or hate for those little black fishy balls, but one thing always springs to mind......expensive as with everything luxury there comes a price tag, and the Skin Chemists Advanced Caviar Range is no exception with prices from £79.00- £129.00.

Regular readers will know that I have a bit of a thing for Skin Chemists and have written about them a few times previously which you can catch up on here.

Starting with Advanced Caviar Hand Moisturiser 50ml £ 99.00

Designed to Protect, repair and regenerate this cream contains Caviar extract, Seaweed extract and Coconut Oil, a tiny bit of this really does go a long way, it is absorbed really quickly and leaves your hands super soft, the thing I will say about this against other hand creams is that the effects last, a lot of creams will soften instantly and withing an hour or so leave you feeling as though it needs applying again, this, ( with the exception of hand washing ) lasts literally hours.

Advanced Caviar Facial Serum 30ml £ 119.00

This really is luxury at it's best, this serum is designed to be your first step after cleansing, it is silky smooth absorbs beautifully and is the perfect base for your moisturiser, from the very first use you can see a visible difference in the reduction of fine lines and even deeper lines appear softened. There is a daily moisturiser in this range but as with all Skin Chemists products they work quite happily with your existing skin care. Designed to boost, hydrate and smooth, containing Caviar extract, Seaweed extract and Aloe Vera this super serum will last ages as a tiny pea size amount is all that is needed for your face and neck.

Advanced Caviar Night Moisturiser 50ml £ 109.00

Unlike a lot of night creams this Caviar night moisturiser literally sinks into the skin leaving you feeling clean not greasy, for a night cream it is surprisingly light, I used this after applying the serum and the effect the two give together is nothing less than stunning, to be fair at these prices you would be disappointed with anything less, on waking my skin looked fresher, more alive and actually had a bounce to the touch. ( seriously impressed )

As a brand I know Skin Chemists are not cheap and I also know that the rule you get what you pay for does not always apply ! but I can honestly say I have never ever been dissapointed with anything I have tried from them, there are also a couple of products that even Mr LB swears by.

You can find Skin Chemists Here

Skin Chemists are so confident in their products they are offering you one for FREE Click HERE

Love n Kisses

Lyn 💋