Men's Skincare | Revamp your Routine

Hi guys,

I decided to incorporate another guest post into my Blog and I am happy to introduce Jeb. He runs a men’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog called Lord Jeb. So without further ado, here is Jeb’s guest post.

Now I’m guessing most you have a brother/father/boyfriend/best friend and I’m guessing not many of those have the most complicated of morning routines. I will admit I don’t always follow through with mine (sometimes it's a quick splash of water to the face!) so I thought I give you guys a few suggestions to slip into the bathroom cabinet to refine him but not confuse him! 

I love this Clinique Face Wash (£16) as it is super-duper gentle and leaves my skin feeling so fresh which is so hard as I suffer from extremely dry skin, weird for a teenager I know. This is a perfect pre-shave as it’s gentle yet tough. It’s great for soothing the skin and removing the dirt and oils from your pores. On the note of shaving, beards are everywhere, literally everywhere! and whether you love it or loathe it on him, it’s a cause you may have to lose on. If you loathe it you may as well love the way it smells which is why I think the Tom Ford Beard Oil (£40) is perfect as it nourishes the beard and fragrances it with the classic beautiful ‘Neroli Portofino’ scent. Yeah this is a little pricey for an oil but I tried to make sure that there was a product for every budget on this list which leads me on very nicely to my next product! Which is the Cucumber Eye Gel from Boots which is a snazzy bargain at £1.50!!!!! It’s a lovely product and such a great alternative to a concealer as it brightens the eyes. It is my go to staple after a long night out (or in finishing OITNB season 3!). It really does hydrate the eyes and make you look like you’ve had a perfect night’s sleep. I also love the packaging as it’s so simple and neutral.

My last product is this Catastrophe Cosmetic Mask (£6.50) from Lush which is so calming and moisturising, something I find to be great for my skin especially as I’m kind of growing out my moustache. It helps me not have a little dead bush above my lip (although I’m not quite at that stage yet (baby steps!) With ingredients like talcum and blueberries, it’s great for moisturising after a dodgy shave on the go! I hope you have enjoyed my guest post on Beauty Talk With Lauren, please be sure to check out my blog, follow me on bloglovin’ and Instagram and tell me what the man or men in your life think! Jeb.

Have you checked out my latest post featuring The Perfect Gel For Sore Joints? 

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Forever Living | Aloe MSM Gel and Aloe Heat Lotion

Hi guys, 

As you know, I do suffer quite badly with bad joints so I am always on the lookout for something that is going to help. I should just go to the doctor but I am sick of them saying I am overweight and need to lose weight. But thanks to Alex over at Forever Living, I have found a solution to my problem.

Forever Living (FL) was founded in 1978 by Rex Maughan and is a company similar to the likes of Younique and Juice Plus in the sense that its products are distributed by people who have set up their own business to sell to the public but FL aren’t as forceful as the likes of Juice Plus or Younique when trying to recruit you or asking you to buy their products. I feel as though everyone on social media is now a distributor for these companies and I get at least twenty requests on a daily basis through Facebook. I personally don’t like being bombarded with requests from these types of companies to buy products and/or join the business by spending a small fortune so I politely decline and leave it at that. That doesn’t mean I don’t admire the work these people are doing and the results they are seeing but if I wanted to join, I would. If I read reviews about their products and they seem to work then I will often buy myself and form my own judgement.

The main ingredient in many of the products seems to be Aloe Vera. They have a wide range of products on offer including Aloe Vera drinks, beauty products, weight management products, pain management products, and also essential oils. I managed to get my hands on some small samples of MSM Gel* (£16.60) and Aloe Heat Lotion* (£12.23) so I wanted to share my thoughts and views.

First of all the MSM Gel (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) is an organic sulphur which is found in almost all living organisms. This is a clear gel which applies easily and doesn’t have a strong scent, infact it almost has no scent at all. I used a little of this gel and rubbed into my knees, there was a mild heat after application but it gave me instant joint relief and took away the discomfort I was feeling at the time. I normally use Voltarol (£4.99) or Deep Heat (£5.39) which does work but I have never experienced that instant relief before. For anyone who suffers with bad joints like I do then I would 100% recommend this as it really works. I will be purchasing a full 4oz tube to keep beside me at all times.

The Aloe Heat Lotion was a different story, I felt almost no relief at all when using this, it was exactly like Deep Heat with the scent of Germoline Antiseptic Cream (if anyone remembers that, £1.69) and worked into my skin well but I was still aching and had to take ibuprofen and paracetamol to take away the pain. It didn’t even help with my muscle pain in my arms and back after some strenuous weight lifting.

As I have never used these products before I was a little sceptical but was pleasantly surprised at how well the MSM Gel worked. This was a total lifesaver product for me and something that I won’t be without now. I got 4 uses on each knee from the little sample pack which I was also impressed with so if you can get your hands on some samples of the products before committing to buying then I would go for it as the products are quite expensive and may not be in everyone’s price range. The MSM Gel is more expensive than any of the alternatives that I have become accustomed to but I personally wouldn't let this sway my decision to buy as it works so much better and gives better results. 

Have you tried Forever Living products?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring The Alpha H Balancing Cleanser? 

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Alpha H | Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera

Hi guys,

I am ashamed to admit that I bought this Alpha H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera (£25) a very long time ago and I have only recently found the pictures I took of the bottle on my phone which has prompted this review. It’s safe to say that I finished my first bottle of this a while ago but I did buy another bottle as it was just so good. As you know I love the Alpha H Liquid Gold (£33.50). I have raved about it on numerous occasions, so much so that I am starting to bore myself but I can’t help it. It really has been made to give the skin the best treatment possible, so when I saw the cleanser as part of a pack, I immediately bought it as I wanted to keep with the same brand.

This is a cream cleanser and it goes on smoothly. I used this pretty much in the same respect as a balm cleanser meaning I just applied to a dry face and worked in until my face resembled that of a wild party goer who had been on a bender for a few days before stumbling home (i.e panda eyes) and then removed using a face cloth and lukewarm water. On first use, it did such a great job at removing makeup including mascara and eyeliner but it didn’t really work well on a dark matte lip so I gave my face a second helping and focused on my lips before removing. To say this cleanser is amazing just isn’t enough praise for my liking, it helps to combat redness, leaves the skin feeling super soft and clean as well as hydrated.

The Aloe Vera in the cleanser really does help to sooth and condition the skin which leaves it looking and feeling lovely. I haven’t noticed any dryness from using this at all, all I’ve noticed is clean and hydrated skin which has felt better since using it. Unlike the Liquid Gold this has a subtle scent so if you do end up buying, don’t expect it to be strongly scented. Is this cleanser really worth the £25 price tag? well if you love your skin then yes! I would recommend everyone use this as it is gentle enough for sensitive skin, it will hydrate dry skin and will help to soothe blemish prone skin as well as nurture mature skin due to its anti-aging properties. 

Have you tried this cleanser yet?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring A New Glycolic Acid? 

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Peter Thomas Roth | Glycolic Acid 10% Toning Complex

Hi my loves, 

I bought the PeterThomas Roth Glycolic Acid 10% Toning Complex (£25) a few months ago and I was using it every night as a toner as instructed. I was trying this out as I wanted to find a cheaper alternative to the Alpha H Liquid Gold (£33.50) which was one of the best finds for completely changing the skin on my face as it helped combat blemishes, even out my skin tone and just rejuvenated my skin.

As you can see from the pictures above, there is a long list of ingredients packed into this toner including the amazing Glycolic Acid which is an exfoliator that helps to scrub away the dirt and debris on the skin. It safely removes the outer layer of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin which brings fresh new skin to the surface. This is beneficial for those of you who are looking for ingredients that help with anti-aging. As well as all of this, it also helps to even out you’re your skin tone and with acne prone skin.

As you know, I do love my Alpha H Liquid Gold and found it to be very helpful for clearing my skin and leaving it looking fresh and healthy but I found the PTR toner to be quite drying and I was left with horrible dry marks on my laughter lines so I stopped using it for a while until my skin cleared. I`m not going to lie, after my face looked a little worse for wear, I didn't really want to continue using it but I decided to give it another go. I adopted a new routine by applying twice per week and found it worked a lot better for my sensitive skin. The solution is heavy-duty and does make the eyes water a bit once it’s first applied so be wary of that.

It does say that it is for all skin types but I don’t know if I fully believe that statement because I have oily/sensitive skin and it was ok once I adjusted my usage but I don’t see it helping dry/dehydrated/normal skin to be honest as it is quite rough on the skin. I do agree that it would work as an anti-aging product as it left my skin feeling and looking tighter and really helped to minimise my pores. I haven’t noticed a huge difference in my skin looked clearer though, I was expecting radiance and a reduction in the darker scars on my skin but I didn’t get that. I will continue using this but I don’t think I will repurchase.

Have you tried any Peter Thomas Roth products?

Have you tried this or any other Glycolic Acid products?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Beachwear Essentials? 

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Summer Fashionista | Beachwear Essentials With Peter Minkoff

Hi guys,

Today is going to be a guest post by the lovely Peter Minkoff who is a fashion stylist, graduating from the Australian Institute of Creative Design, and a writer located in Brisbane, Australia. He graduated from the Australian Institute of Creative Design. Aside from fashion, he loves reading, cooking exotic meals and travelling around tropical destinations. Combining all his skills and experience along with his complete and utter passion for fashion, he is planning to launch his own independent style business but today he is sharing his passion for fashion on Beauty Talk With Lauren. 

Peter Minkoff

Our long-awaited summer is finally here! Long romantic walks across the beach, soft, white sand under your bare feet, crystal clear water, intoxicating smell of the sea and, most importantly, the utmost relaxation… is there anything more amazing than that? We believe that you spent at least a couple of months preparing your body for the beach season and now, it’s finally the time for you to put all preps to an end and start enjoying! 

Most of us get stuck packing dozens of necessary stuff that we forget to pay attention to something we care about the most- our fashion style. Many girls think that the beach is the only place where they don’t have to mind their look, but that’s terribly wrong. Beach provides us with an amazing opportunity to show off our beach body and unique fashion sense. So, before you hit the road, you should definitely choose and bring your favorite beach essentials with you. If you are pressed with time (as we all are), we listed out a couple of beach must-haves for you. Check them out!

Swimwear

Remember when you bought that fancy bikini and later on, while looking at the photos, you had that “I’ve made a huge mistake” impression on your face. Don’t worry, it can happen to anyone. What you need to understand is that choosing your ideal swimwear is more complex than you think. Moreover, it’s similar to choosing sexy underwear for your special someone. Apart from being super-sexy and trendy, it needs to flatter your silhouette in the best possible way and to make you feel comfortable all the time.

When it comes to the sole choice of the design, the choice is really wide. For example, this season, neon is the hottest trend. Therefore, choosing a radiant neoprene neon bikini would be an amazing idea for you. You could also go for retro floral, polka dot and ethnic print, as well as sexy animal and graphic print.  

Beach dress

We all have that flawless, lightweight beach dress that makes us feel both comfortable and incredibly sexy. If you don't, street style fashion bloggers have done their job and popularized most amazing summer dresses in every style. Thanks to them, it has become both easy and safe to buy fashionable light dresses online. This season, maxis are the thing and you should rock them in an effortless, yet stylish way. For example, you can pair your favourite floral or tribal maxi dress with some cute gladiators and bold accessories and voila- here is your flawless boho chic outfit!

Playsuit 

Playsuits aren’t just for kids! When worn in a stylish way, they can be super-sexy and feminine. Most importantly, there are numerous possible ideas for you to wear them, all depending on your fashion sense and preferences. For achieving feminine, effortless boho chic beach look, you could simply rock a printed playsuit with casual, bold accessories and casual hairstyle. On the other hand, if you want to achieve the utmost sophistication and elegance for a casual beach party or coastal walk, you could simply rock a delicate, white playsuit with some cute colourful wedges and chic accessories and you are ready to go!

All in all, achieving flawless beach outfit isn’t that complicated at all. These are just some of numerous ideas we chose for you, and they will definitely help you achieve casual, yet sophisticated and chic look. Now, all you have to do is to accessorize properly and, believe us, you will have heads turning! 

I hope you have enjoyed Peter's post today guys. If you wanna hear more from him, just let me know and we can work on it.

Have you checked out my latest post featuring A New Vitamin E Cream? 

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