L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution

The latest offering I have tried in the battle of the Micellar solutions is L'Oreal's Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution. After purchasing my first bottle of Bioderma back in May on my trip to London with the lovely Jaye, I was totally hooked. Unfortunately that has now run out :( so I have attempted to find a suitable replacement (and one that is a bit more purse friendly).

L'Oreal's Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution claims to dissolve make up, unclog pores, remove impurities and tone and smooth skin.

I have to soak a few cotton pads to make sure that I remove all my make up but it is great at removing mascara, even my waterproof one, which tends not to budge apart from when using Bioderma or this. As far as unclogging pores goes, I would have to say that it is great on the surface but doesn't provide a deep cleanse.

I've been using this to remove my make up before bed for a few weeks now and have to say that I have been thoroughly impressed. It leaves my skin feeling clear and refreshed and hasn't caused any redness or spots. I don't fully trust the solution to leave my skincare routine at that though so I always make sure I wash and cleanse my face afterwards. I did this with the Bioderma too even though I didn't need to.

The thing I love most is that I purchased two bottles of these in Superdrug for £6 making them £3 each! I think I will be making a few repurchases as well as stocking up on some more Bioderma next time I visit London too.

Have you tried this? What are your thoughts?

The Great Dorset Chilli Festival

I'm quite lucky that I live in a county which is able to host events like these.

The Great Dorset Chilli Festival in Wimborne St Giles is an annual event where you can taste and buy all things chilli! It is based in the grounds of St Giles House which has been home to the Earls of Shaftesbury since the 15th Century. The house and park are listed on the English Heritage's Register of Historic Houses, Parks and Gardens.

We attended the festival last year and couldn't wait to go again this year. We pre-booked our tickets online (for £5.50 instead of the £7 on the door price) and persuaded our friends, Carly and Paul to come along too. The event is cash only as it's held in the grounds of St Giles house and last year we made the mistake of not bringing enough cash. This year though we were fully prepared!

There are hundreds of stalls selling not only chillis but jams, chutneys, ice creams and cider. I'm not overly keen on hot spicy things but hubby is, it's always great fun watching him try the sauces - sometimes he needs a ice cream after!

Our favourite exhibitor is The Garlic Farm which is based on the Isle of Wight. I love their Garlic Mayo and Oak Smoked Garlic. I always stock up when I can as it's quite expensive to cross over the water to the Isle of Wight from Lymington.

 As well as all the exhibits, there is also a lot of entertainment. This year there was an artist doing caricatures and a Mexican band which reminds me of the Doritos advert!

 There is also a chilli eating competition which you can sign up for online and chilli tasting sessions where you can taste different chilli sauces and vote for your favourite.

If you're able to attend next year, it's well worth a visit!

Cosmetic Vending Machines...yay or nay?

I've recently spied a few blog posts popping up on cosmetic vending machines and thought I would do a little research into it. 

Although some brands have been offering this in airports for years, Benefit are the latest company to jump on the bandwagon. The "Glam Up & Away" makeup vending machine is currently only available in the US in JFK, Austin and Las Vegas airports but there are plans for at least 20 more in several other US airports. The machines sell 30 of Benefit's most popular products including They're Real Mascara and the POREfessional.

“It’s sexy, fun and an innovative new way to introduce our instant beauty solutions and ‘laughter is the best cosmetic’ brand motto to hundreds of millions of travelers that fly each year.” Says Julie Bell, EVP Global Marketing at Benefit Cosmetics.

I really hope we get something like this in our UK airports. It's a fantastic idea for make up on the go, if you've forgotten that one item that is still sitting on your dressing table at home or if you have had items confiscated at the security check points. Better still, it would be great if they could introduce these to towns in the UK which currently don't have a Benefit store or concession within a department store. I for one could see one of these in the middle of West Quay in Southampton or Chapelfields in Norwich.

My only concerns are, what would happen if you paid and then your product got stuck, dangling on the edge of the dispenser teasing you? It's OK if it's an 85p chocolate bar (you can almost let it go) but if it was a £23 Fine One One or £18 They're Real, I would be shaking it until it plopped down or sticking my hand up there to pull it out!

Also, I would be concerned that it a bought a powder, when it came down it would end up in pieces. Packaging would have to be reinforced or changed to be able to cope with the fall.

In theory, I really like the idea, I think it's a novel way of introducing beauty on the go and a clever marketing strategy. If I was lucky enough to visit an airport that had one I would definitely try it out, but part of me thinks that you just cant beat popping along to a counter, swatching your heart away and chatting with friendly Benefit staff.

What do you think to this idea? Would you try it? Have you seen one of these before?