A Treat for Tired Muscles? Mio Workout Wonder VS Neal's Yard Arnica Salve

I've been eluding to a serious workout routine on this blog for a while now, and I figured I should probably just out myself. The intense fitness class I've been doing for the last 8 weeks is Pole Fitness. My friend and I signed up when we found a Groupon offer and thought for £18, the 6 1-hour-long sessions would be at least a laugh if nothing more.

After I got home from week 1 having fully enjoyed myself I was glad I did it, but within days my muscles were aching and I found even the smallest of movements painful and so invested in some muscle relief products, the two that I've tried being the Mio Workout Wonder and Neal's Yard Arnica Salve. I like both though I think they're good for different things and cater to different needs.

Firstly the Mio offering. This was the first muscle relief gel I'd tried and it really did the job. It was instantly cooling on my muscles as I worked it in and after the slightly uncomfortable tingling it left behind my muscles were completely ache free. It comes in a pump aplicato so you don't have to stick your fingers in pots which is nice and the smell is refreshingly minty. This is definitely an intense product and it really does leave a cold, tingly sensation behind for a good 10 minutes on application but if you're finding yourself struggling to move after a day at the gym this would be a good one for you.

The Neal's Yard product is less well-suited to what I want in a product like this, but for a typical program would probably work fine. It's designed to be used both before and after a workout however for Pole Fitness you can't use any form of moisturising product on your skin for 24 hours before a class due to it making you slip to easily and thus makes if difficult to hold poses. With this in mind I was only using the Arnica Salve after classes, and for a few days after my classes, it's a much more gentle formulation and so you can use it underneath your moisturiser every day if you want. With it being Neal's Yard it is 99% organic and doesn't contain any chemicals so if that's what you look for in products this might be a good one for you.

All in all I prefer the Mio Workout Wonder, the minty smell and the cooling sensation are just preferable to me personally but I still use and like the Arnica Salve.

Cailyn Dizzolv'It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm Review

I've been trialling a lot of new skincare lately (thanks to my recently discovered obsession with beauty-box subscriptions I'm finding myself with an awful lot of products to sample, see Wednesday's post for more info), and the most recent product I've been working my way through is the Cailyn Cosmetics Dizzolv'It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm.

From the ingredients list I don't see anything that screams "nasty" to me and the formula is nice, a very greasy balm that, as the name recommends, I use as a first cleanse in the evening to remove make-up before I go onto a second "skin" cleanse. I personally would only use this as a makeup remover as the texture is greasy and oily and perfect to remove make-up, but there are balms out there with a nicer texture like the (say it with me now) Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel which I prefer to use as my morning or second cleanse.

As part f my testing I used it for 3 consecutive nights to remove make-up before going into a typical skincare routine and although it removes makeup well, I do find it slightly more drying on the skin than my usual makeup remover (Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brightening Cleasning Oil) and so, at almost 3 times the price for the full size, I don't see myself repurchasing this item over the Una Brennan. That said I will continue to use the product while I have it.

My First Birchbox - A Beauty Box Subscription Comparison

So after my first beauty box subscription post "My First Beauty Subscription Box - A Look inside my loveMeBeauty Box", I figured it would only be polite to try out some other boxes and compare the services. So I picked up this month's Birchbox and while I'll admit I haven't tried most of the products and so can't offer much of a review on them as of yet (watch this space - reviews will be coming!) I'm just going o be reviewing the actual service.

So as far as ordering Birchbox, the process seems easier than LoveMeBeauty, you just signup with your email, password and fill in your "Beauty Profile" (which asks about your product preferences, skin tone, condition of your hair, etc). Whereas with LoveMeBeauty you have to fill in a profile every month and actually pick your products. Birchbox is more expensive monthly than LoveMeBeauty however the average price of the products you receive seems to be higher so it balances out there, and the element of surprise is quite nice with Birchbox as they just send products they think you'd like based on how you fill out your Beauty Profile.

I think it's relevant to mention the products I received from Birchbox to show the value. in the March box I received 1 product I requested Benefit RollerLash Mascara, Birchbox seem to offer you a choice of 3 products from one brand each month (last month was a choice of 3 benefit mascaras, this month it seems to be a choice of 3 Laura Mercier products). I also received a Lord & Berry Bronzer in the shade "Sienna" which looks quite orange on the swatch despite me filling in the Beauty Profile as having a "porcelain" skin tone. Other than the bronzer I seem to have received all products I'm a least interested in: The Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt which is supposed to be good for stress and muscle pains (hell yes, give me all the relief from muscle pains), the well-hyped Philip Kingsley Elasticizer and the Catherine Malandrino Eau De Parfum which, although I definitely don't need anymore perfumes, I may have to pick up a full bottle of. It smells, divine.

As far s the delivery goes, Birchbox deliver your box at pretty much the same time each month where LoveMeBeauty will debit your account and then wait for you to pick your products. So, again, Birchbox win with the element of surprise. The boxes they send are smaller and so the products inside are generally smaller too. I find than with LoveMeBeauty you get more full sized and deluxe sample sizes whereas Birchbox will send mainly regular sample sizes with the odd deluxe sample.

While I like that Birchbox's surprise element makes it feel nicer to receive, I think for the money, LoveMeBeauty is better value, as you pick the products yourself and generally get products you like and you get more product for you money. That being said, if what you want out of a beauty subscription box is to trail lots of little samples of higher-end products and you like a lot of different types of products, Birchbox may be more suited to what you want.

Exfoliation For Face

So part 2 is finally here! This time it's all about the face. Again I've got 3 types of formulas to show you, so let's get cracking.

The Manual Exfoliator

So this is the formula I'm least likely to use of the 3. The manual exfolitor is the most abrasive option for the face and I'd only use a manual exfoliator once a week. That being said, they're good for deep exfolation if you have very dry skin and are a good option for people who can't/don't want to use acid-based facial exfoliators. One manual exfoliator formula that I love is the Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads. The smell is pleasant and the scrubby particles aren't too abrasive but still leave your skin feeling properly exfoliated.

The Acid Toner

So the only type of exfoliator I'd use daily (twice daily if needed) is the acid toner. These are liquid toners that are made up using acids that gently exfoliate the skin. Usually these toners will be made up of fruit acids or glycolic but a range of acids are used in different formulas. My favourite is another Clarins option, their Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. I like this formula because, like the Soap & Glory sugar scrub from last week's post, the formula contains glycerin so it's hydrating as well as exfoliating.

The Radiance-Boosting Mask

So I have 2 options for this one, depending on your taste. The radiance mask is essentially a combination of the above, an acid-based formula that can be used as little as once a week to work. If you want a quick hit of both manual and acid exfoliation, the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial is your mask. You put it onto dry skin and it feels slightly grainy on the skin, then add water and it smoothes out, leave for a minute and rinse. So easy. My other favourite is Oskia's Renaissance Mask which is good for when I want the exfoliating mask without the manual exfoliation element. I use them interchangeably depending on how my skin is and what my time constraint are.

Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser

So if anyone remembers my "The Mother of All Goodie Bags" post a while back, you might have seen this cleanser before as it's hiding within the main picture for that post. Now I've done some research and it turns out that Anthony is actually a men's skincare brand, but I figure a cleanser if a pretty gender-neutral product and so I gave it a go (as I do believe that even attempting to get my other half to test out products for me would be a lost cause).

I love a good cleanser, and I like glycolic acid in products for light exfoliation so this seemed right up my street and it seems pretty reasonable for the price. I wouldn't recommend it for every-day use (during my 3 consecutive day testing period I found my oily skin starting to feel a tad dry), but for once or twice a week, which is how often I would generally use a glycolic cleanser, it's great. It comes out as a gel texture and will foam slightly with water, however I use it as I'd use any cleanser (apply to a dry face, work in, remove with a hot, damp flannel).

So while it proves a little hard-core for my feminine skin I'm unsure as to whether male skin is thicker, so if you'd like me to try to convince the boyfriend to give it a go let me know and I'll pester.

Also - Sorry this post is a tad late, works been crazy this week.

Bodycare 1-0-1 - Exfoliation

So this is another 2-part-post. Today we have exfoliation for body and then next week I'll be putting up exfoliation for face. Now for body, there are 3 categories of exfoliators I incorporate into my routine on a regular basis which I talk you through now: The basic scrub, the sugar scrub and the coffee scrub.

The Basic Scrub

So first and foremost, my most-used formula is the basic scrub, and my favourite product from this category is the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Body Scrub. The formula is quite thick so it sticks to your skin in the shower unlike lots of other formulas. The basic scrub exfoliates using gritty sandy-feeling particles, suspended in a shower gel/cream formula. These types of scrubs are the most abrasive and I would only recommend using these 1-2 times a week.

The Sugar Scrub

Much like the little pots you can get for your lips, the sugar scrub uses sugar granules as the main exfoliating element to them. Another shout-out to Soap & Glory for my favourite from this category with the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Firstly, it smells amazing but the main reason I like this is that the sugar and other exfoliating elements are all suspended in a glycerin-based formula, meaning that you get a ht of hydration along with your exfoliation. Sugar scrubs are less abrasive on the skin as the sugar starts to dissolve when it gets wet so they're a good option for people who want to exfoliate every time they shower rather than 1-2 times a week.

The Coffee Scrub

So this is a very new-to-me formula, but recently I tried the Mr Bean Coffee Bean Scrub and it was very... Interesting. The most gentle of all 3 formula's, I think this scrub would be best for a sensitive skin type or for someone who only wants some subtle exfoliation. The one I got contains coconut oil so, again, it's really moisturising on the skin and it's a generally nice scrub. But I have 2 main issues. Firstly, the smell. It smells strongly of coffee, unsurprisingly, but the scent really lingers. I washed it off with a scented body wash and then layered up with scented moisturiser and could still smell it slightly and I'm not a massive fan. Secondly, while most scrubs leave a bit of mess in the bath, this left the worst mess of all the scrubs I've ever used. I think because the product is black maybe it just looks worse than other formulas? Either way, after my nice relaxing bath I found myself having to do a thorough clean of the bath.

My Manic Monday-Morning Make-up Routine

Being a creature of habit, my weeks follow a very similar structure and Monday has recently become my gym day. Straight from work every Monday I hit the gym, do my 2 classes and get my self home for some well deserved dinner. Working in an office environment means I can't just rock up to work in my sweats with my greasy hair up in a pineapple-like fashion, so I've come up with this routine which means I can get away with long-overdue-a-wash hair and gym-bag combo.

So firstly, that hair needs to go. I slick it up into a high bun, secure with hair pins and load it up with hairspray, and while I hold no loyalty to a particular one I'm currently using the Professional Touch Salon Hairspray High Shine Extra Hold Curl Control (what a mouthful!). It holds buns and curls a like without that crispy feeling and smells pleasant, if a bit strong.

I'll then get to work on make-up, with it being a Monday morning I've more than likely woken up slightly later than planned so a quick work-appropriate look for me consists of this: Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in shade "3", it's a nice coverage that blends best with fingers and matches my skin perfectly. I then go in with the Urban Decay Nake Skin Concealer in "Fair Neutral" where I need it. A light dusting of Soap & Glory's One Heck of a Blot Powder to set my base and a bit of the Benefit Sugar Bomb Box O' Powder on the cheeks for a slightly rosy flush.

With base done I tight-line with Lord & Berry's Polish Eye Pencil in "5071 Mirror Black" and line my lower water line with Rimmel's Skandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal in "Nude". I then wiggle some MaxFactor 2000 Calorie Curved Brush Volume and Curl mascara through my lashes and tame unruly brows with Maybelline's Brow Satin in "Medium Brown".

All quite simple, standard stuff, right? Then to top it all off and make it look like I've put some effort in, I've been gravitating to a bold lip. Now I love my reds and I'll always go back to them but lately I've found a bold pink to be my go-to lip colour. It just seems more statement than a red. The one I've been picking up a lot is the Nars Satin Lip Pencil in "Yu" and it is b-e-autiful. I've just been finding that a bold lip is the best way to distract from a bad hair day and livens up an otherwise lack-luster make-up. And the best bit, just remove the bold lip with a make-up wipe and you're ready for the gym. Genius.