Dead Sea Spa Magik Algimud Active Seaweed Mask

Dead Sea Spa Magik Peel Off Mask - £3.60

I've always loved the idea of Dead Sea Spa Magik as a brand, but never actually tried anything. I picked up this face mask on a bit of a whim, my skin needed a pick-me-up and I fancied a change from the ones I already have. Containing natural dead sea mud and seaweed and promising to detox my skin, it sounded perfect.

One of the things that most attracted me to this particular mask is its ingredients. Without getting too sciencey and out of my depth, the dead sea mineral mud is said to help purify the skin whilst the Alignates help to create a gelification process which eventually hardens. It also doesn't contain any parabens, making it the perfect radiance enhancing mask.

In one pack you get a sachet, which provides a very generous amount for a single use, and a wooden spatula. There is a small amount of preparation to be done in that you have to mix the sachet with 75 ml of cold water before immediately applying it in a thick layer to your skin, but its easy to get it into a good consistency. It is recommended that you ask someone to apply it for you, because otherwise you will get it everywhere. While I got the benefit of the mask, my mum got the fun factor in smothering my face using the spatula and nearly blocking my nostrils. Attractive. Joking aside, we never stop laughing, so this would be perfect for a girly night in! Oh, and I've spared you all the horror of seeing myself modelling the mask, I ended up looking like the Elephant Man, and nobody needs to see that.

Once applied you can feel it tighten; I love feeling like a mask is doing something. The advice given is to leave it on for 10-20 minutes. I actual lost track of time watching an episode of New Girl and left it on for 30 minutes.  When I looked in the mirror it didn't appear to have hardened any, but I decided to do a risky attempt at peeling it off regardless. Thank God I did because it had hardened. Although the appearance hadn't changed, the mask actually transformed into a type of rubber mask, a second skin if you will. For once a peel off mask did what its supposed to do and peeled off in one piece, mess free! It was such a fun process, kind of like removing a latex Halloween mask (I kid you not!). The results underneath were amazing, my skin looked so clean and glowed, and stayed like that for a couple of days! I can definitely see the purifying qualities of the dead sea mud and I am now a complete brand convert.

The cheapest place I've found that stock this mask is Amazon at £3.60, but I got mine from Holland & Barrett. For a one use, it isn't the cheapest mask on the market, but it is cheaper than a facial. It was so relaxing and my skin looks so much better. If your looking for a detox, pamper and just want to try something different, I definitely recommend it.

Have you tried any Dead Sea Spa Magik products? I really want to try their bath salts next!

Is it just me or...? || Exam and Assessment Observations

On Tuesday I completed all my exams and assessments for my Undergraduate law degree. This is my 7th year of having 'proper' exams, not counting the ones that don't mean anything in the real world before Year 10 (I sat some GCSE's in Year 10, not 11), so needless to say I've become well programmed to the whole assessment period. By now you would think I'd be fed up of education, but I'm going on to do another two postgraduate degrees in one year from September. I'm not going to lie, I just want the alphabet after my name and the student discount. Anyway less of my CV, more of the post, through the years I've noticed some things I think are pretty standard across the country, probably the world, so I though I'd share with you some of my favorites. It is quite a wordy post, but I hope its worth reading. Hopefully this will make those of you who have finished with education smile and cheer up (and provide some procrastination) those of you still in it (there's a light at the end of the tunnel).

During the hectic period right before the assessment period there's pretty much four catorgories of people. There's the work-a-holics that  give up their social life, and basically any life really apart from revising/preparing. Then there's the plodders, the group that try as hard as they can, attempting to maintain a life and constantly stress when they give into guilty pleasures (Youtube, I'm looking at you) instead of revising. One group which will not be feeling guilty for remaining human is the procrastinators. Now we've all been there. When its the first proper 'summer' day, doing anything revision related isn't going to be high on your priority list, but reorganising your notes, for the seventh time, because your colour co-ordination clashed with another module suddenly seems urgent. Even printing off everything and anything that is slightly relevant to you exam (but you have no intention of reading), stapling it just so and placing each into a plastic wallet in a file feels like you've done a hard days work. Lastly, we cannot forget the night-beforers. Those lucky individuals that can spend the entire preparation period rolling their eyes at the work-a-holics and plodders before sliding out the door on yet another night out, until the night before the deadline in which they pull an all-nighter, cram like mad and still manage to get a good mark (how is that possible?!). Personally, I think I strike a nice balance between a plodder, procrastinator and a work-a-holic depending on how close to the deadline I am, but I really wish I could be a night-beforer!

Another thing I've noticed about exams is that the most unexpected people will actually engage in conversation with you. Be this through facebook, twitter, people who you wouldn't normally acknowledge in your class will now act like you've been each others rock. I'd like to take this as a compliment, but is it just me that gets the endless stream of what topics are you revising? How much have you done? Blah Blah Blah. Since when does my opinion hold such significance? It's worth noting that these same people will most likely be the same people who want to 'discuss' the exam after you've just spent 3 hours trying not to have a nervous breakdown over it. Why? Its not like your dissection and construction of the 'perfect' answer will magically change anyone's grade. The exam paper isn't like the Marauder's Map, your new improved plan will not just suddenly appear in your paper, so stop! 

Like before the exam, there are some pretty distinct characteristics of in-exam behavior  You have the uber prepared who invested in a clear pencil case (with a pink zip to add some spice) way back in 2006 and is going to get her money's worth (all of the £0.99 I paid). You have the so laid back they should be horizontal people who seem to be doing an impression of a sloth they are so relaxed rolling in 2 minutes before the exam starts. This next one is probably only relatable to University students unless they've changed the exam booklets since I did GCSE & A-Levels. Does anyone else feel amazingly self-conscious when the lick the corner of their exam to hide your name and give a glance to check if anyone watching (anonymous marking at its best)?. Not only do you feel completely drained through the stress of sitting an exam, they subject you to this social humiliation of looking like a tramp. What amazes me in exams is the extreme writer who writes so much so fast they seem like their going for the gold medal. Please tell me that it isn't just me that looks up with horror when someone asks for more paper after an hour. I think I've only ever once asked for more paper in an exam, and that was to fit an extra two words in. Finally, I couldn't finish talking about exam room behavior without a lovely mention to those invigilators. Now I understand you must be as bored as we are terrified, but please wear slippers if you insist on walking up and down. Not only will you be comfy, you won't be subjected to the many death stares your clicking most likely achieves.

Lastly (I promise this post is ending soon), is the horrible task of having to hide your notes after your exams. I've mentioned that I hate talking about exams after they have happened, and this extends to even seeing my notes in my bag or on my bed after the exam. I handle it like nuclear waste, holding it at the corners and placing it in some dark dusty corner, until a year later I discover it in a major tidy up and think why was I so terrified over the notes I've sacrificed my life compiling  And then go on to do it again in the next lot of assessments.




So that's some of my examination and assessment observations. I really hope I'm not alone in these and some of you do or have seen the same thing otherwise this is going to be pretty awkward. What things that I've missed out have you noticed? I'd love to know.

I know it takes some effort and your (a) in a rush (b) procrastinating (c) tired but it would be really really helpful if you let me know via comments, twitter, e-mail, owl, if you enjoyed this kind of post. I'm trying out new things, which will all be explained soon in my May Monthly Mash Up, and I have quite a few of these posts planned already, but if no-one fancies reading them, there's little point publishing them (except for my own amusement).

Whilst your procrastinating, if you happen to be from the UK and fancy winning one of two OCC Lip Tars, click here to enter my giveaway.

V05 Plump It Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion

V05 Plump It Up - £3.69

I'm really lucky in the sense that I have always had exceptionally thick hair in good condition. I've never really suffered from the dreaded frizz, even on holiday, and the only reason I had my cut into a short bob was because I wanted a change, and it took the weight out of my hair. Because of of the limited options a bob presents on the styling front, I rely on my GHD's and a good blow dry. To keep my hair healthy and sleek I depend on a decent blow drying lotion.

I picked this V05 one up way back in late September just before I moved back to Uni, and have repurchased it ever since, so its about time I did a review. V05 Pump It Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion is a bit of a multi-tasker. Its a blow dry lotion and a heat protection spray. I'm not usual a fan of multi-tasking products; in my experience they never fully deliver on any of their claims, just so-so on each. For the price I wasn't expecting miracles, but I really do like this. It doesn't give me the most volume and thickness I've ever had, but I wasn't that fussed about that because naturally my hair is very thick. I do think if you have thinner hair than me, this would probably have a greater effect, as it does add a little bit of volume. This is also supposed to help with frizz and fly-aways. I don't really suffer from frizz so I can't comment on that, but on fly-aways, it does help create a more polished look. The heat defence seems to be really good, I straighten & blow dry my hair at least once a day, and its in really good condition. It leaves a really smooth, slightly shiny blow dry after one or two sprays. Lasting about a month with every day use, for value for money, I don't think you could do better.

I think I picked mine up at Asda, but Superdrug sell it for £3.69. What do you use to protect your hair? Has anyone got any volume tips for thick hair? Most products I see understandably cater for thinner hair, so I'd love to know any you've found for thicker hair.

P.S. Enter my giveaway and have the chance of winning an OCC Lip Tar! Click here.