Essence & Catrice Spring 2019 Update

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know how much I love budget cosmetic brands Essence and Catrice and I always look forward to attending the events they host locally, for the local brand manager really pulls out all the stops and always manages to find attractive venues and host us in grandeur. This time was no exception!

The event for the Spring/Summer 2019 update took place at Domus Zammitello right in the heart of our capital city, Valletta. The building is centuries old and has recently been restored to its former glory and transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful boutique hotel!

The stunning interior of Domus Zammitello

Angelique from Cosnova, was flown in specifically for this event and she explained some of the new products which are yet to launch and the ones which were launched just last February. Let's have a look at Essence first.

The highlights of the new collection are without a doubt four eyeshadow palettes, each inspired by a metropolitan city; namely, Paris, Rio, Sydney & New York. My absolute favourite is hands down the Salut Paris! one, Paris being my favourite city, followed closely by G'Day Sydney and it's bright summer hues! I have to say that Essence have really upped their eyeshadow game recently, more specifically with the introduction of the palettes, and everything from packaging to pigmentation is on point!

They have also added some new products to their You Better Work range which they claim to be practically life-proof! At the time of writing this post, I have already tested out all three new products and can vouch for their longevity. I have found the Tinted Day Cream to be a very good match for my skin tone and the fixing spray and mascara are both very good as well.

The nail polishes have also gotten a makeover and of course, new colours have been added. I love Essence nail polishes for their colour range and price tag! Lastly, there are also some new lipglosses, dip eyeliner and #insta perfect liquid highlighters.

Moving on to Catrice, there are some new nude nail polishes, translucent ones as well as full coverage nail stickers.

As far as face products go, this is the area Catrice focused their Spring update on with the introduction of the 1-minute Face Perfector, Glow Illusion Loose Powder, Golden Dust Liquid Highlighter Drops, One Drop Coverage Weightless Concealer and the Bouncy Bronzer. There's also the HD Active Performance Primer and the Liquid Camouflage Under Eye Primer.

They have also introduced three new eyeshadow palettes as well as another Glam & Doll Mascara which promises lash growth and a boost in volume. The Pret-a-Volume mascara is another volumising mascara that has been added to the range along with the It's Easy Eyeliner pens in waterproof and standard formulas.

For the lips, it's another party with the inclusion of matt and glossy liquid lipsticks and a plumping lipstick range. I have already used one of the Plump & Shine Liquid Lipsticks and it has already become a colour I reach for almost every day.

Lastly, Essence & Catrice have just launched a collaborative limited edition collection of eye and face palettes and brushes. I haven't seen them yet in person, but they have just started being distributed to stores and pharmacies.

Of course, I couldn't resist and just had to try out some products immediately so here's a simple look I created with products from both brands!

What will you try first?

Shake It Till You Make It! Nupo Malta launch

At the end of February, I got to attend the launch of Nupo Malta at Villa Corinthia in Attard. Up to an hour, before the launch was set to start, I was actually really angry at the weather for ruining a perfectly sunny day and turning into a cold, stormy night within a few minutes and I was scared I wouldn't be able to make it out of the house as it was pouring bucket-loads!

But I didn't want to miss the launch and as soon as it stopped raining, I made my way out of the house and drove off to the venue. Boy am I glad I did! I met up with fellow bloggers Caroline and Deborah and we kickstarted the night with one of the Nupo shakes.

Let me introduce you to Nupo first. Nupo stands for nutritional powder and the brand is a household name in the Danish market when it comes to weight loss & weight maintenance products. In fact, it's been around since 1981. The brand promises to be the next big thing in weight loss with a claim of a 2kg loss per week while you're on the diet. Nupo not only offers conventional powder shakes, but they also offer 200 calorie snacks which can replace a meal and a pancake mix too!

Basically, Nupo is based on the premise of VLCD (Very Low-Calorie Diet), meaning that all their soups, shakes, pancakes and one meal products have a very low-calorie count. Of course, they recommend you drink 2 - 3 litres of water a day in conjunction with their products.

How does the Nupo diet work? Basically, you take 6 portions a day of Nupo shakes or soups, say 4 chocolate shakes and 2 tomato soups; alternatively, you can choose to replace certain meals like I plan to, for example, you have a Nupo shake for breakfast and lunch and eat a healthy balanced meal in the evening. You can also throw in 2 One Meal snacks along the day! It is recommended to follow the Nupo diet for 3 weeks for effective weight loss if you're morbidly obese, after consulting your doctor for guidance.

Bloggers at work ;)

Locally, the following Nupo products are available:
Diet Shake & Soup - €19.95 for 12 sachets
Breakfast Pancakes - €3.28 per pack (makes 3 - 4 pancakes)
Crunch Bars - €3
Ready to-go drinks - €4

During the event, we were given demos of the different offerings from Nupo as well as an explanation of the diet. Popular TV personality Claire Agius shared her experience consuming Nupo products with us on the night as well and she claims that after being on the diet for a week, she could already see a difference.

With our wedding being a mere 2 months away, Nupo looks like the perfect thing to try to maintain our weight and shake off a few pounds ahead of the big day so I got us a box of Nupo Chocolate Shake and Pancake Mix to try. I also got a Toffee Crunch Bar which tastes heavenly and I had difficulty eating it all in one go. When I finally succeeded, it kept me full until my next meal, 3 hours later. I'll be happy to share a more in-depth Nupo experience with you in the coming days so keep your eyes peeled! 

Teeth as White as Snow? Smile Lab Advanced Teeth Whitening Strips and Toothpaste Review

Teeth whitening is not a new concept for me. I have tried it in the past but I would always find myself lamenting from the same problem; even though the results are favourable, the teeth guard is too big and uncomfortable.

Thus, when I was approached to try the Smile Lab teeth whitening system, I looked the brand up at first to see what the kit consisted of and seeing that it contained strips, I decided to go for it. I'll start by showing you what the kit looks like.

Right off the bat, I love the pink and white packaging and sleek design! The kit I have comes with 14 strips and a sleek pink metal case to take the strips with you on the go, plus an instruction manual. Each teeth whitening strips sachet contains two strips, one for the upper teeth and one for the lower ones. In turn, each strip has a layer of gel spread onto it which contains all the whitening agents needed to achieve a million dollar smile. The gel is peroxide-free and is enamel safe.

Although it can feel tricky at first, the strips are actually very easy to apply and the instructions are easy to follow. The strips only cover the visible teeth, not all of them and you only have to wear them for 30 minutes, during which you can do some housework, get your hair or makeup ready or just relax! I'm happy to say the strips feel comfortable throughout wear time and the gel has a nice flavour.

Once the 30 minutes are up, all you have to do is just remove and dispose of the strips, brush your teeth with Smile Lab Whitening Toothpaste and enjoy your bright, pearly whites! The strips are not supposed to affect fillings or crowns but any discolouration on crowns or veneers will also be whitened. And after completing the 14-day program, the strips get a 10/10 from me! There is one thing though, I would have liked to have a colour chart so as to compare where I started and where I finished in terms of the teeth being whiter.

Now let's move on to the Advanced Teeth Whitening Toothpaste. Packaging comes in the same colour scheme as the strips and the toothpaste itself has a pink colour and a minty flavour. It lathers well so I'd say it does a good job at cleaning and keeping my teeth whiter for longer. It also features the breath control technology patented by Smile Lab to keep your breath feeling fresh for a longer time.

Now that you know I love the results and I have finally found my favourite teeth whitening kit, let's talk prices. I will tell you right away that SmileLab is the best value for money teeth whitening kit I have ever tried! The kit I have retails for €52.99 and the toothpaste retails for €10.49 for 75ml. There is also the Groom range for men which is available locally and a silver-coated toothbrush as well!

SmileLab is available at:
Roseberry (Valletta)
ValYou Supermarkets (Naxxar, Mellieha, Pendergardens St. Julian's)
Park Tower Supermarkets (St.Julian's, Santa Venera)
Health Junction Pharmacy (Zejtun)
De Paola Pharmacy (Paola)
Pisani Pharmacy (Gozo) 

PR Samples

Jett Plasma Launch & Fashion With A Cause at People & Skin Med-Aesthetic Clinic

If you've been following this space for a while, it's no secret that I love anything that has to do with skin care; not just discovering new products, but also treatments and med-aesthetic procedures whose aim is to improve the look and feel of skin.

I was invited to the launch of one of the latest in such discoveries at People & Skin Med-Aesthetic Clinic earlier in February - Jett Plasma Lift Medical, so let's dive in deeper into what it all entails and why People & Skin have added the treatment to their extensive repertoire.

In medical terms, Jett Plasma Lift Medical is non-surgical blepharoplasty. In simpler terms, it offers a non-surgical means to tighten loose skin around the eyes. The device which delivers the treatment is actually very compact and from my research, results are instantaneous and patients experience minimal downtime. The Jett Plasma Lift Medical is, therefore, a medical device that provides next-generation technology for skin tightening and collagen production stimulation. Consequently, apart from blepharoplasty, Jett Plasma Lift Medical can also be used to treat pigmentation, small vein clusters and removal of small warts for example. The device is intended for repeated treatments and the doctors from People & Skin will guide you through your treatment accordingly. The procedure does require the use of local anaesthetic to suppress the heat sensation from the device; after all, the skin is being shrunk as the heat stimulates collagen production in the area being treated for a rejuvenation effect. People & Skin are offering the treatment with an introductory price of €450 for both upper and lower eyelids.

Following the Jett Plasma Lift Medical presentation, as is customary with People & Skin events, there is always a fashion-related twist, and this time, the spotlight was turned on the newly designed and launched Francesca boots from Roccamore.

For those new to Roccamore, the brand designs stylish shoes which are often praised as being some of the comfiest around. This time, like I said, it was time to introduce the Francesca boots, which come in either blue or pink and are named after the founder of the popular local Facebook group Women for Women, and women rights activist Francesca Fenech Conti. The boots are being launched for a cause, and a part of the proceeds from the sales will go to fund the women's reproductive rights campaign that is currently undergoing in Malta through the Women's Rights Foundation.

I don't want this blog to turn political but here's a little background information about the women's reproductive rights campaign and what it stands for, just so you know what you would be contributing to should you wish to buy the boots.

Abortion, no matter the circumstances of the pregnancy, is illegal in Malta and the aim of this campaign is to push forward the legalization of abortion for a guaranteed safe procedure for those who wish to go for it. I for one, do not agree with the principle of abortion and a part of me believes it really is murder of the innocent especially when the pregnancy is an advanced stage or when someone wants to terminate an unwanted pregnancy for no reason, only because the baby, who has done nothing, is unwanted. I believe a baby is a blessing and there are ways and means that you can learn and use to not get pregnant in the first place in this day and age; However, the medical scientist in me knows that certain complications can arise in pregnancy which may have serious consequences on the mother's and baby's health and sometimes, they may even lead to death. In such instances, I believe that the parents should be given the option to abort the pregnancy if they 'wish' so. I am not going to go into the ethical issues of who to save, for each case should be consulted individually, I simply would like for women who wish to terminate a pregnancy (I repeat, a pregnancy which presents detrimental complications), to be able to do so safely in their home country instead of being forced to go to shady clinics in a foreign country.

So in a nutshell, this is what part of the proceeds from all Francesca boots sales will contribute to. I must admit though, the boots do come at a price but from what I've seen at the launch, they do look comfy, stylish and little to no glitter falls off from them, and they do look well-made.

To conclude, I would like to thank People & Skin for having me and well done Roccamore on the launch of the Francesca boots for a cause :)