Introducing TummyTox

I'm always excited to try new skincare and beauty brands, whether products or beauty gadgets and when it's both, it's double the fun! Recently I was introduced to the lifestyle brand Tummy Tox, and in this post, I will be sharing the products they kindly sent me and my respective opinions on each, plus a little offer for you if you read till the end!

The products kindly sent to me by Tummy Tox Malta

TummyTox was founded by girls, for girls to help us look and feel better every day. Their range of products covers everything from weight loss to beauty, health, and detox. When the brand reached out to me, I gladly accepted to test some of their products from the beauty and detox ranges out, and share them with you. So, without further ado, let's get into the products in no particular order.

Starting with some gummies, I chose the Multivitamin Gummies and the Shine Bright Gummy Bears, with the former being my favourites as far as taste is concerned. When taken as part of a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle, supplements have more of a beneficial effect and when they come in the form of gummies, they are of course more fun to take than a pill. To actually see results, you would need to take at least 3 months' worth of vitamins (6 months will give you better results) and I was given one month of each. I cannot really comment on the effect of the multivitamin ones but I have seen a difference in how hard my nails are ever since I started on the Shine Bright ones and my skin seems to be clearer too. I don't really like the taste of them too as I find it too sugary. However, they have apparently changed the formula to resemble the taste of the Multivitamin gummies so I would be willing to try them again seeing that they already gave me good results.

Both Vitamin gummies are vegan and are rich in essential vitamins and minerals and they are free from gluten, lactose, gelatine and GMO's.

 (Retail Price: €15 each for a month's supply)

Moving on to another beauty product, the K-WOW Face Mask, made out of kaolin clay to deeply cleanse oily skin types. When you first open the mask, it looks as if it has separated. Don't worry, that's normal; you just have to stir it into a homogenous mixture with the provided spatula, apply on clean skin and leave on for 10 - 15 minutes before rinsing it off thoroughly. I find that after using this mask, my skin looks clearer and brighter and it feels fresher too! The product information claims that by time, pores will diminish in size and thus prevents the formation of blackheads. The mask has a 4-in-1 action: deep cleansing, detoxifying, toning and brightening. I can attest that results can be seen from the very first application, so definitely give this a try if you have oily skin prone to blackheads! (Retail Price: €15 for a 75ml pot)

The thing I was most excited to try from this pack was of course the Tummy Tox Vacuum Pore Cleaner. I have been wanting to try one but they are always so expensive so when I saw the Tummy Tox one, I knew I had to try it and share it with you! It comes with 5 different suction heads to suit every skin need (always read the enclosed leaflet to choose the best one for you), 6 filters and a charging USB cable. It has 3 varying speeds, which of course you need to adapt according to your skin type/needs. This nifty gadget claims to 

• suck out all the dirt stuck in your pores by removing blackheads, impurities and excess oils 
• lightly exfoliates the skin 
• improve micro-circulation in the skin
• lifts and tightens the skin and reduced the appearance of double chin
• massages the skin and improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

I have been using this once a week as part of my skin care regime (paired with the K-WOW Face Mask) and my skin seem to look more radiant. I have also been using this on hubby who has much oilier skin than I do and is also more prone to blackheads and well, it being gadget, let's say he enjoys using this 😜 and is always pleased with the (disgusting) results. (Retail Price: €35 for the full set).

Going back to supplements, I have been given a pack of 15 Beauty Drink (now Collagen Drink) sachets which I have been taking day-in, day-out with my main meal. I really like the blueberry taste of this and combined with the Shine Bright beauty gummies, it will give you better results since they both work for the same results. Collagen is a protein and it is the basis of hair, skin and nails. Maintaining it's levels is important for younger-looking skin and prevention of sagging skin so any help is always appreciated, especially if it comes in the form of a tasty drink. (Retail Price: €20 for 15 sachets). 

Lastly, I have to rave about this Lash'N'Brow Enhancer which I have been using religiously every day on my brows. I love how easy it is to apply and it lasts so long! I love to apply it every morning and evening as part of my skin care routine for stronger brow hairs. Growing up, I never had bushy brows and the hairs are on the finer side. To top it off, plucking and waxing caught up with time and my brows have become more sparse at the front part. Luckily, with the Tummy Tox Lash'N'Brow Enhancer, I am noticing that I'm taking less time to fill my brows when doing makeup so I guess it's working! As for my lashes, I cannot say that I am enthusiastic about trying it as while I was initially testing the product, I was suffering from seasonal allergies and had puffy eyelids and crusty skin around my eyes so I cannot say if it was wholly due to the allergies or if the product had anything to do with it.

As a thank you for supporting my page, Tummy Tox have agreed to offer you a €5 discount when mentioning my page for any order over €25 or FREE delivery when purchasing just one product. For orders, you can either place your order online at www.tummytoxmalta.com, contact 79816974, or email sales@tummytoxmalta.com. Don't forget to mention Lara's Pint of Style to avail of the above offer!

PR Products. All opinions are my own based on my experience using the products.

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Introducing Apivita

I love discovering new brands as much as the next person, especially when the products are based on natural ingredients and they fall under the skin-care realm.

My latest discovery (and obsession) is Apivita. A Greek brand born in 1979 after two scientists developed their first cream made out of bee products and herb extracts. The company's name translates to 'life of a bee', and like a bee, Apivita is committed to creating value for the community, natural environment and the economy. 

Oh, and did you know that bees have recently been acknowledged as the most important species on Earth? I personally couldn't agree more as they contribute to maintaining harmony throughout the ecosystem and they provide us with so many useful products! In fact, the company has its own beekeeping farm where they produce bee products that are pesticide-free while also promoting mild beekeeping practices.

Today, Apivita boasts a full range of products for all the family and every skin type's needs; they also have hair products and well-being items so that they remain true to the classical Greek ideal of 'kállos' - inner and outer beauty, high aesthetic value, balance, moderation and well-being.

I was kindly given a set of face masks which the brand markets as a facial menu pack as it is like you're doing a facial at home with products containing ingredients derived from the Mediterranean diet. They recommend you do an exfoliating mask, a cleansing mask and a moisturising one, one after the other. I chose the Olive Face Scrub as my exfoliant, the Pink Clay Mask as my cleansing one and the Aloe Face Mask as my moisturising mask.

The masks come in a set of two from each one, so you can do the 'mini facial' twice. Each mask has a different texture according to its purpose of course, with my favourite being the Olive one. The exfoliating bits feel really nice on the skin and I could tell that brighter skin will be revealed once I rinse my face and I was not wrong at all! What followed were a couple more moments of pure bliss as my skin was being treated with good ingredients that brought out the best of it!

The Pink Clay mask is the thickest of the three and I love its texture for my oily skin while it also takes care of the more sensitive areas around my face. I left this mask on for a little while longer to make sure it cleansed my skin well.

Lastly, we have the refreshing and moisturising Aloe mask to seal the deal. My skin felt so soft after using this! I love how plump it looked and how refreshed it felt!

I guess these mini facials will be regulars in my weekly skin pampering sessions and I look forward to trying more versions of these masks as well as some other products from Apivita. Should you wish to know your nearest stockist, contact them on their Facebook page and I also encourage you to have a look at their website for more information about the brand and its commitment towards preserving nature and it's guardians, the bees!

PR Samples

Review | La Roche Posay Effaclar Sebo-Controlling Mask

La Roche Posay have released some exciting new products to further expand their Effaclar skin care range. I'm sure many of you are acquainted with this range as most of us have used it as teenagers and others, me included still use the products today.

One of the products which sparked my curiosity ever since I saw it advertised on the La Roche Posay Facbeook page is the Effaclar Sebo-Controlling Mask for I am always struggling with balancing my oily skin in a bid to keep it shine free for longer throughout the day.

Without hesitation, I bought a tube of the mask from the first pharmacy I saw it at last week and tried it that same day after cleansing my face. I also managed to convince the boyfriend (read nagged until he had to agree) to try it since he has super oily skin which is very prone to black-heads. So far we have used the mask twice in a week.

Let's have a word about texture first before moving on to the actual results. Basically, the mask comes in a tube packaging with the signature La Roche Posay colours and it has a very creamy texture. It has a greyish white colour which pertains to the kaolin clay content of the product. The mask is formulated with the finest ingredients known to unclog pores and rid the skin of invisible impurities to reveal a healthy, glowing complexion which stays matte for longer.

La Roche Posay recommend the application of a thin layer of the mask once or twice a week (make sure you avoid the eye and lip areas), leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse off with warm water before applying the rest of your skin care products. 

During the 5 minutes you have the mask on, you will feel it dry and maybe your skin will feel a little tighter; or course, that's due to the clay drying up. It does rinse off easily though so application and removal are both like a walk in the park! Neither me nor my boyfriend have experienced itching or burning sensations when using this mask.

For me, just one application a week was enough to keep sebum production at bay for longer. My boyfriend, on the other hand needs to stick to applying the mask twice weekly but since it only takes 5 minutes, he doesn't complain.

Bottom line, I highly recommend this mask to anyone who wants to keep their skin look fresh and matte for longer as well as anyone with a very busy lifestyle and of course has an oily skin type.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Sebo-Controlling Mask retails for €13.50 for 100ml of product and is available in pharmacies.

Review | Yves Rocher Active Sensitive Extreme Comfort Mask

Lately, my skin was misbehaving and I had a minor breakout. Time isn't really a luxury I have these days, but luckily, Yves Rocher have the perfect mask to treat my skin in just 5 minutes flat and I can go on with my day.

The Yves Rocher Active Sensitive Face Mask comes in a 75ml tube and is meant to be applied to clean skin, let it act for 5 minutes and wipe the excess off with a tissue as opposed to rinsing it off.

It has a very creamy texture which is very soothing and the skin feels well hydrated after using this mask. There is no scent to the mask as it is specifically tailored for sensitive skins. I can immediately see my skin calming down and redness fading away after I use this mask and I like how soft my skin feels afterwards. I try to use it at least once a week.

Like all other Yves Rocher products, the mask contains botanical based ingredients such as Anta Bean and olive extracts which are very beneficial to sensitive skin types as they calm down the skin and help avoid flare-ups.

Yves Rocher Active Sensitive Extreme Comfort Mask can be found at all three outlets in Sliema, Valletta and Paola and retails for €14.50.