iHerb.com Haul


HI EVERYONE!! I'll admit I've been quite excited to post my first haul, I'll just get straight into it...

I've actually not even used this, I've purchased it for someone I know struggling with acne and after reading some reviews and watching a few youtube clips as well as seeing it ranked the same number on the iHerb site as the Black African Soap I decided to buy it. There is a larger tube of 227g available on the site for £2.59 but this 57g one is perfect for sampling first. Click for Onika Beauty's full review.

This is a repurchase because omggg I love how small and sand like the scrub is, It gives a massaging effect and I felt the difference from the first use. My face was just deeply cleansed and felt fresher then ever. I used to have to cleanse and tone every night to avoid breakouts but ever since I started using this there really isn't any need for the hassle, every. single. night! Yey! Also, this to me, smells like green tea.

I had seen the papaya enzyme mask from Alba Botanica (also available on iHerb for £7.50) before, since the majority of  face masks I've tried cause severe facial swelling, I thought it's best not to risk it and so bought this to try out from the range. It's oil free so is not greasy at all. I'm not a huge fan of lavender scented things but this is so subtle I actually liked it. It moisturised well and left a smooth matte finish. Unfortunately with my super sensitive skin, I did have a reaction once I went out with it a few times so I've passed it onto to my sister who likes it but isn't fond of the smell.

My sister has suffered from acne for about 11 years now. I'm not sure how many things she's tried but after seeing the lovely Malak mention this a few times on her blog for acne prone skin it ended up in my basket. Within the first week of using this soap morning and night her spots were practically all gone. It's magical I tell you. It can also be used on body acne, perfect for anyone who isn't into all that chemical stuff. I bought two more just to stock up. You can also purchase African Black Soap here.

I've only recently got into highlighting so I've started with really basic products. One thing was missing, a fan brush, so here it is. I've only used this once so far and I really like it. I think we'll remain on good terms unless it sheds after I wash it but I don't see that happening so we're good.

iHerb also sent me a company nail file with my order, a pleasant surprise as I had been looking for one of my 23939 that I've lost around the house and couldn't find one when I needed  it.
I highly recommend reading customer reviews on the products before purchasing, they're super honest and very helpful.

P.s don't forget to use the discount code HPK047 to get $5 off your first order or $10 if you spend over $40 - you might be charged customs in that case although I'm not entirely sure, I usually try and stay under £18 to avoid that.

Lip care?

Lip care?


A while back I read THIS post on effective lip care products. At the time of reading this I had been using vaseline for about two years. I didn't use it because I liked it, only because I thought it got the job done - temporarily. When I first started using it, I had to keep using it due to it's very short lasting effects. I also didn't want anything containing alcohol so settled for it.
When I read about the EOS being a matte balm and found out it was organic and contained Vitamin E with no petroleum or parabens I became very intrigued and wanted to try it out. I was tired of constantly reapplying vaseline with no real solution and the condition of my lips began to worsen. I wanted something actually good for my lips and Eos fit the description. I went ahead and ordered my sphere from Lovelula.com, an organic and natural beauty web shop with free deliveries on all orders as well as a handy points scheme, do check out their other products as they assure that everything on the site has no SLS's, no parabens and does no animal testing. You can also find Eos in Selfridges stores here in the UK as well as on Amazon and Beauty Bay.

As I started using the Eos balm, I noticed not only the condition of my lips began to improve but also the colour of my lips too. Being South Asian, it's very common to have discolouration around the mouth and on the lips which I do, so anything that will improve that is an immediate favourite for me.  I bought an Eos sphere for both my sisters and it had the same effect on their lips as well. As the beauteabible post also mentioned; it's great under lipstick too.

The only thing I now use vaseline for is to soften the flaking skin on my lips before brushing and then scrubbing with my diy lip scrub, all i do is let it sit for a minute or two and then proceed with the routine.

I always did wonder how petroleum could possibly be good on my skin or lips and now I know for me, it isn't. I'm sure other people love this stuff but I sure am never going back.

L-R: Summer fruit & LE Barbados heat £5.99 from Lovelula.com, Recent purchase Strawberry Sorbet £3.25 from Amazon



Lee Stafford Root Boost Mousse



Okay so this is just going to be quick one. I recieved this a while back in the goody bag I got from Graduate Fashion Week (2015 Tickets now available). I only recently decided to try it. As someone who wears hijab, I was in the mood for giving my hair some love and bothered to style it using this. You apply it to damp, towel dried hair. I like the nozzle as it was easy to get to the roots. The downside of this was that once my hair was fully dried it felt pretty rough where it had been applied, i've never had such rough hair not even with a load of hairspray and teasing. If you don't mind that then I definitely can say it did give me nice, lasting volume even after sleeping on it; all I had to do was give it a bit of a brush up and it was as good as first applied.

Overall I give this product a 4 out of 5 only because it felt so rough. I think it's a nice option for a hijabs off, girls night in pampering party or something.

Favourite Cleaning Products

Favourite Cleaning Products


1.PINK POLKA DOTS! And long lasting! They were just too cute not to have and to my advantage do a lovely job when wiping over surfaces as well as the doors and handles. £1 at wilkos.
2. Particularly favourite sponges because they're bigger than the usual size therefore cover more surface area on dishes and are good for getting right to the bottom of highball glasses rather than pulling out a dish brush. £1 for 10 at wilkos.

3. I love using these with the Astonish cookware cleaner because they're not so harsh on the glass of our electric cooker so i'm not left with scratches when I'm trying to scrub off that overflown milk burn. £0.90 for 3 pack at wilkos.

4. A must have for every kitchen, I like these kind of bristles best although I also keep a softer dish brush for more gentle scrubbing. £2.50 at wilkos.

5 & 6. Both very similar in terms of quality and really good for a quick wipe over with the polka dot cleaning cloth. 5 is only £0.75 at Asda and 6 is £3.00 from asda but often goes on sale for a pound.

7. So this is £2 at waitrose but is often on offer at other places like asda for a pound. The foaming of it is good for leaving to sit on something like a blob of dried jam whilst I take care of other things. It's a brilliant all over cleaner, I like using it on my cupboard and fridge doors.

8. I read the packaging stating "An addictive fragrance of orchid, balanced with hints of violet and lingering musks" and though yeah, whatever.. but I was overconfident with this one because I definitely am addicted to this stuff. It smells amaaazing and does a really good job cleaning table/counter tops as well as metal things such as the loo roll holder or the towel radiator.

9. I cannot stress how much this has changed my cleaning life! I use it on almost everything, from starbucks plastic cup coffee stains to grease covered pots or baking trays. This is my go to for anything giving me a hard time. I use the silver scourers with this shown for the glass on the cooker or the steel scourers for tougher things like grease build up on pots and pans. I actually can't be without this for kitchen cleaning. Best of all it's only £1 at poundland! It lasts a very long time too. Also I never use this alone, I always add a few drops of washing up liquid to whatever type of sponge or scourer I'm using it with.