HexxBOX British Edition with 1001 Pasji and ULA-LA-BEAUTY: urban spa, Cellulite Massager Mitt

Zgodnie z obowiązującym mnie regulaminem brytyjskiej edycji HexxBOXA recenzja jest w języku angielskim. Na ewentualne pytania chętnie odpowiem w komentarzach.

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Today I am finally going to write about the third product I received last December by courtesy of Asia and ULA-LA-BEAUTY.

How about that cellulite, hm? Seems like I have been fighting with it for, like, most of my life and, usually, it gets the better of me. Why? Well, it is extremely hard to get rid of cellulite; you need a lot of persistence, patience and, of course, some help. Now, usually those anti-cellulite body lotoions and creams don't help much in my case. I am well aware that they have to be paired with healthy diet and exercise. But what if I do not have much time to exercise? Why, it is a good idea to try a cellulite massager like the one from urban spa (available for 8.99 pounds here):

The mitt is made from a clear silicone. It is very easy to use - you just slip it on your hand. Also, the product is dead easy to clean; you just have to wash it in soapy water, rinse and hang to dry.

The mitt has two sides. You start your massage with the nubby one. There is virtually no pain but, to be honest, it doesn't feel like this side does much. Now, the other side is much more hardcore! The spikes are quite sharp and the massage can be painful. I was careful not to overdo this as I have some spider veins on my legs and I didn't want more (and, as far as I can see, I succeeded).

beginning / after 4 weeks / after 6 weeks

I have used the mitt on my thighs, butt, and belly every single day over 6 weeks. During that time I didn't exercise in the strict sense but I went out with my baby daughter, pushing her around in her pushchair for 1-2 hours a day. I would like to say that I also cut down the sweets but, well, that would be a lie... Nevertheless, as you can see there are some visible results (which I had to wait for patiently; you are not likely to see any difference for the first week or two). Within those 6 weeks I didn't get rid of cellulite but it  reduced considerably. The skin on my thighs and butt got firmer and looks better. Unfortunately, the same doesn't go for my post-natal belly; there isn't much difference there. Well, I didn't think that a massager mitt would help me with excess skin there anyway... All in all, I like the results and I definitely intend to keep using the product. Beware though - if you stop using the mitt, your skin will gradually go back to the original state.

Now, I cannot not mention the fact that my Polish readers can find an identical equivalent of this product in Rossmann (for around 15-20 PLN):

PS. The sharp side of the mitt is PERFECT for deep washing your make-up brushes, especially the dense ones. Try and be amazed :)

HexxBOX British Edition with 1001 Pasji and ULA-LA-BEAUTY: Real Techniques, miracle complexion sponge

 Zgodnie z obowiązującym mnie regulaminem brytyjskiej edycji HexxBOXA recenzja jest w języku angielskim. Na ewentualne pytania chętnie odpowiem w komentarzach.

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The miracle complexion sponge was a secret Santa gift from ULA-LA-BEAUTY, a sponsor of the British Edition of HexxBOX organised by Asia. Believe me - I was really, really happy when I pulled this accessory out of the envelope.

Let me start this review with a disclaimer - this is my first make-up sponge (not including the small, disposable ones). I have never had a Beauty Blender or its other alternatives, so I cannot compare the Real Techniques' sponge to any of them.

The sponge comes in a plastic packaging. The packaging gives you all necessary information regarding what this product is for as well as some tips how to use it. Also, you can find some helpful instructions on youtube.

The sponge is egg-shaped with a flat edge. Its bright orange shade is very optimistic. The product is soft to touch and gentle for your skin. After being squeezed, the sponge immediately bounces back to its former shape. Also, the 'egg' doesn't get damaged easily when washed. I have been using it for over 3 months now and it still is in a good shape. I think I will be able to use it for at least another 2 months.

I love the flat edge bit. I use it both for my foundation and concealers. It does the job quickly and reaches all the hard-to-reach areas on my face, such as around my nose and under my eyes.

Obviously, I wash the sponge after every use. I cannot say that it's difficult to clean but, actually, that depends on which face make-up product I used. For example, if I used the sponge to apply mineral make-up with, a mild detergent will do. However, if I went for some heavier stuff, say high coverage foundation, I will need a strong detergent to get rid of the stuff. Know what I mean?

The sponge can be used wet and dry. While the results are comparable, I prefer to use it wet. I don't know why; just feels nicer. The product gets bigger when wet and goes back to its original size when dry. Does it suck some of the make-up product up? Well, yes, but so do make-up brushes...

To make sure that I test the sponge well, I tried it repeatedly with three different formulas of face make-up products - a light coverage BB cream, a high coverage foundation, and a powder, mineral foundation:

This actually turned out to be a very interesting experiment. Let's start with the BB cream. It looked the same on my face whether applied with the sponge or my own fingers. There was no difference whatsoever. However, this was not the case with the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation. As mentioned earlier, this is a high coverage foundation. When applied with fingers it tends to look somewhat... unnatural. The product stands out on my face as well as accentuating pores and dry spots on my skin. It definitely looks better when applied wet with the Real Techniques sponge, as the accessory reduces the coverage a little bit and blends the foundation better into my skin than my fingers. As for the mineral foundation - I LOVE APPLYING IT WITH THE SPONGE (especially wet). Seriously, the results are amazing; the foundation looks like my skin only better. You cannot see that I applied any foundation at all. So much better than a kabuki brush! Also, I love applying concealer with the sponge. It works much better than my fingers and lets me blend the product into my skin nicely while retaining the coverage I need.

To sum all this up, I really like this product. While I still hope to see some time in the future what the fuss around the Beauty Blender is all about, I'm sure I will buy the Real Techniques miracle sponge when this one cannot be used any longer. After all, it works really well while being affordable. ULA-LA-BEAUTY sells it cheaper than Superdrug or Boots (check it out here).

Should you be considering some retail therapy with the store, here is a bonus for you:

HexxBOX British Edition with 1001 Pasji and ULA-LA-BEAUTY: Madara, Refreshing Soap

Zgodnie z obowiązującym mnie regulaminem brytyjskiej edycji HexxBOXA recenzja jest w języku angielskim. Na ewentualne pytania chętnie odpowiem w komentarzach.

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As you may know, I was chosen by Asia from 1001 Pasji blog to test out three products sponsored by ULA-LA-BEAUTY.

I am going to start with Refreshing Soap by Madara. I must confess, I haven't been familiar with the brand before. It turns out that Madara is a Latvian brand which offers a wide range of organic, ECOCERT-certified cosmetics. So far, so good!

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I love organic skin care. When it comes to body soaps, I want a product that smells good and cleanses my skin effectively without drying it. I have normal skin but certain products can leave it stripped off of its lipid barrier, an effect I don't particularly like. If you want to know whether Refreshing Soap met my expectations, read on.

As you can see, the soap comes in an aesthetic, green, plastic, recyclable bottle with a pump. The bottle looks opaque, yet you can easily see how much product is left inside.

On the bottle you will find all the essential information concerning the product, such as what it is for, how to use it, its volume, etc.

The pump works well till the end. No complaints whatsoever packaging-wise; it is very user-friendly.

This is a 250 ml bottle. I have finished the product within 25 days (I used it once a day). I needed 7-9 portions to cleanse my whole body. 

The soap doesn't foam. Upon contact with wet skin it turns into a kind of emulsion.

The soap is clear and has gel-like consistency. It smells very minty. This is what mint leaves, not menthol, smell like. The fragrance is very natural and very refreshing.

A fresh, natural aromatherapy body soap with Northern Peppermint essential oil and Algae extract. Cleanses deeply, yet gently. Skin feels refreshed and subtly fragranced, your body and mind feel recharged and energized.

Well, let me tell you, all these promises are fulfilled. The product does cleanse your skin and it is gentle. I usually use a moisturiser after having a shower but there were a few occasions when I didn't do it and my skin wasn't unpleasantly dry. I even washed my face with it couple of times and it wasn't dry after either. Cool! Additionally, the soap is really refreshing. Not only does it smell of mint, it leaves a subtle cooling sensation, which is always refreshing, right? And yes, after a shower with this product my mind did feel recharged and energized. I have no complaints whatsoever.

I am not qualified to analyse the ingredients. However, the list of ingredients is short and I don't see anything suspicious here. The product boasts ECOCERT certificate.

You can buy this soap HERE. It costs £9.99. I think it's an ideal product for all those of you who, like me, love organic skin care. Remember about that cooling sensation though. I know it's not everybody's cup of tea.


Bonus: