Taylor's 32: An All-Natural Whitening Toothpaste

Taylor's 32 are a natural toothcare brand, which unlike so many other toothpastes are free from SLS, artificial preservatives, sweeteners and abrasives. It's safe to say when this product turned up in my Glossybox I was super excited to get some use out of it! They gifted me the Grapefruit & Mint flavour, and although I'm a massive fan of Grapefruit, most of my toiletries that feature this are soap oriented, so I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it...

My first use of the toothpaste wasn't actually too fab. As I had been used to typical toothpaste brands such as Oral B and Colgate, I only put a smidge of a dot on my toothbrush, and after the first use I was worried that it wouldn't leave my breath minty fresh, and in addition used mouthwash directly after, which definitely defeated the purpose of using this brand! But after a week of use, and trialing and testing using different amounts (ALWAYS USE A BIG DOLLOP), I have fallen in love with this fresh toothpaste, and am already starting to see my teeth looking whiter and brighter! I think next time I might take a wack of the classic mint, but it was nice to try a toothpaste with a flavour of something a little different. 

Beaut brand and beauty product, I would highly recommend!

Trying Out Magnitone's BareFaced Vibrasonic Cleansing Brush

It's taken me a while to test out this one, but after a month of using this beauty, I can now give an honest review on how the Barefaced Brush effects and cleans your skin. I have previously used other non-electronic cleansing brushes that have been tough on my skin, and instead of feeling the positives of brushing away oils, impurities and dead skin cells, the only thing that I could think about was how harsh and painful they left my skin. When I first used Magnitone's Vibrasonic brush, I was so wary of it being the same. I hesitantly put the brush head on my skin, scared it would leave my skin stinging and in pain...

I chose to go with the original brush head, rather than take a wack at the one designed for sensitive skin just so I could see a comparison, but because the original was so soft, I haven't had to use the other yet! I then grabbed the instruction manual to make sure that I was using the tool right...

1. Remove all makeup and apply your usual cleanser. In this case, I used the Dirty Works Creamy Cleanser, I love the smell and how soft it leaves your skin. 

2. Wet the brush and choose which mode you would like, normal or pulsing. 

3. Let the vibrations do the work and glide gently over your skin in small slow circles. 

4. Every 20 seconds the brush will beep, after which continue to another section of your face.

5. After 1 minute the brush will turn off and you're all set!

This cleanser and brush are an absolute match made in heaven. Although the day after use you may witness some spots coming to the surface of your skin, after a few weeks you will really see improvements all around. My skin has become less oily and blotchy, something I'm sure everyone would appreciate on a daily basis! 

Magnitone is such a fab brand, and I'm so lucky to have been able to review this product for them. If you are looking to try one out for yourself check out their website - HERE 

#Magnitonebabe Wipeout! Cleansing Cloth Review

Anybody following my Instagram account will know that I have just become a Magnitone Brand Ambassador! Super exciting stuff. And as I am now a Magnitone Babe, I have been ever so lucky enough to receive a box of goodies to review, especially for you guys! 

The first of their products that I have been particularly excited to review is their Wipeout! Cleansing Cloth, a cloth makeup remover that works just by adding hot water! It's great for those with sensitive skin, looking to avoid nasty and harsh chemicals. 

After giving it a good soak in the washing machine at 30, I tried it out for the first time yesterday evening, and it did not disappoint. The cloth is like the softest and fluffiest flannel you have ever touched and wipes off your face in seconds. You don't have to scrub at your face harshly, and its soft on your skin, perfect for me as so many products end up stinging my face! 

 The only downside is that unlike your common makeup wipe, you can't just throw it in the bin and get rid of the makeup remnants, it does leave a stain on the cloth. I suggest using the cloth nightly, and then after a week popping it back in the washing machine for a good clean, so it's then spic and span for the next! 

Thanks so much, Robyn and the team at Magnitone. Next up will be the Barefaced Daily Cleansing Brush- looking forward to it! Grab your own cleansing cloth HERE 

KIKO Milano Bargain Buys

Hiya all, sorry that It's been fairly quiet on the blog recently. Summer is a busy time, but I have lots of new posts coming up and exciting things for the upcoming months! 

If you haven't seen on my Insta account, I have just got back from being in Italy for a short holiday, just north of Luca. A fab week spent eating, drinking, sleeping and chilling by the pool (I did play tennis a few times to get a bit of exercise in). On our final day, we went to Viareggio to spend some time bathing on the beach, but I couldn't resist a little bit of shopping! KIKO Milano had a sale on, and when I walked inside to see bargain buckets of beauty and makeup products I just couldn't help myself...

I was amazed, and with the total of these two products, Super Duper Less is Better Cream Blush and Signature Eyemarker Liquid Liner, totaling to only three euros sixty, I am now looking back thinking I was a total fool and should have stocked up and bought Birthday and Christmas presents in advance! 

I assumed that as they were so low in price that they must have been lacking in quality, and I was so so wrong. Okay, so I've only been using these two products for the last two days, but in that time I can truthfully say that this is the nicest cream blush that I have ever used, the tone is beautiful, and it lasts leaving your cheeks flushed and blushed for hours at a go. The liquid eyeliner is also a steal, the application is fab, leaving thick and clean lines instantly, without having to press down hard onto your skin. Unfortunately, the precision isn't as great at the Bareminerals liquid liner that I usually use, but for one euro it's pretty amazing, and I usually end up using a cotton bud to smooth and shape each line anyway. 

I am pretty chuffed with both of these. I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT MOREEEE, WAHHHH 

Kristy x

Rimmel London's new Stay Matte Lip Colours

So I've recently joined the Influenster gang, and luckily enough my first voxbox package was these lovely Rimmel London Stay Matte Lip Colours! These really have been a fab introduction to the Influenster programme, and have made me rethink my daily makeup routine. They are quick and easy to use, and last throughout the work day. 

I was sent 5 new beautiful shades; Midnight, Blink Pink, Rose & Shine, Blush, and Latte To Go. So far I have only worn Blink Pink, Rose & Shine, and Blush, for either a night out or to go to work, as I believe those are the three that are better suited to my complexion. Don't worry I will be sharing more pics of how to pull off those other daring shades soon on my Insta!

Whilst trialing these products I was slightly skeptical, as I had previously heard reviews that they flake and come off fairly easily. I have to say I completely disagree, and that even when wearing the Blink Pink on a night out drinking, it still remained on my lips when I ventured back at around 1 in the morning. I think that this may indeed be affected by the smoothness of your lips, due to the matte nature of the lips colours they do tend to dry them out, so if you have naturally dry lips I'd give them a quick exfoliation before wearing these, as it's likely to improve the chances of them staying on for longer. 

I usually steer away from any products that even slightly resemble lip gloss, but these are a must! 

K.x

Working Out for Busy People

After graduating last June I wrote a few blog posts on 'How to Exercise at Home' and 'How to Achieve A Good Gym/Work Balance'. Since then I have moved from being the My Baba Editorial Assistant to a Product Stylist for good old Net-A-Porter, a job that isn't your standard 9 to 5, but rather 8 to 6, although I can't complain as I now have a 4 day week! I've also just moved from home to my new place, and have joined a fab new gym called Bounce. I thought I'd do a little fitness post, as I haven't in so long, to celebrate my new membership!
 
 On my extra day off I try to get to the gym in the morning, in addition to a workout session at the weekend and Yoga practice every Wednesday Rules. I've realised that getting yourself to the gym 3 times a week just isn't always possible for everyone, so I thought I'd write a post for those of us who are only getting to gym 1-2 times a week, and how to get the most out of your sessions. 

1. Train Full Body: 

If you are only getting down to the gym 1-2 times a week you want to be maximising each session by hitting your whole body.

2. Use Compound Movements:

 target the largest muscle groups as this will burn more calories and get most out of the session: think pushes, pulls and squats.

3. Superset Movements and Use Circuits: 

Save time, allow you to work your whole body without being there for hours, this also keeps the intensity high, keeping your heart rate up, meaning you will get cardiovascular benefits as well as strength gains.

4. Train Core Stability Not Abs:

 to be the most efficient, work to stabilise your core, not just doing 1000s reps of crunches which work the superficial muscles. Work the functional ones to get the benefits that a strong core gives you (reduced back pain etc).

5. Finish off with Some Sprints:

 To maximise cardio benefits as well as strength training, jump on a bike or treadmill and push out 4-6 all-out sprints for 20 seconds, taking as long as you need to recover between, but make sure you are going full-out during the sprints. This finisher will have your heart rate through the roof, just make sure to bring a sweat towel!

Here's an example session that I am using at the moment:

Strength Circuit 1

3 sets of:

Squats with Barbell x10

Bench press with Dumbbells x10

Bent over rows with Dumbbells x10

(Resting 1-2 minutes between each set)

Strength Circuit 2

3 sets of:

Stiff Leg Deadlifts with Barbell x15

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder press x15

Machine lat pulldown x15

(Resting 1-2 minutes between each set)

Core circuit

3 sets of:

-Plank on Swiss Ball for maximum hold

-Russian twists with medicine ball x15 each side

-Super-mans 3-5 on each side 

HIIT Cardio(Bike or Treadmill)

Start with a 2-3 minute warm up to get the blood flowing

Perform 4-6 all out Sprints for 15-20 seconds

(Rest as long as needed between Sprints)

Take a 3-5 minute cooldown on the machine