Gamila Secret Face Oil Review

Hey My Lovelies,
It is  brand new week of new possibilities and challenges to conquer, so chin up and go for it (i was meant to publish this post on Monday but life happens).That's me trying to be inspirational and nudge myself back to the reality of a new week. I have received a few requests from my lovely readers for a review of the Gamila Secret Face Oil, so here it is. I am sure it is no secret that I love the Gamila Secret brand because their products are very high quality, 100% organic and natural and, most importantly, they are effective and will improve your skin provided you use it according to its instructions which is pretty straightforward. You can head off to my previous post on the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Review to get better acquainted with the brand and the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar. 

Moving on to the review, I had been using the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar for a few weeks already and I was contemplating buying the Gamila Secret Face Oil but the hefty price tag of £70 kept me back from buying it although I was still lusting after it everyday. Luckily for me, I had a 10% discount from Gamila Secret so I needed no more convincing and I decided to close me eyes and splurge on this miracle oil. I believe it was worth every penny spent and I also got a free Gamila Secret Dish to place both my Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar and the Gamil Secret Face Oil...how cute does it look? let's get started with this review before I veer off another tangent as usual..

                                                                  Packaging
I have to say this is one of the prettiest packaging I have used. The outer packaging has inscriptions from Savta Gamila Hiar. I love that the materials are 100% recyclable to help save our planet. As you know, I definitely have kept this packaging because I think it is pretty. It does really look fancy and opens up in a rather spectacular way to reveal the misted glass bottle containing the Gamila Secret Face Oil. I love the misted glass bottle design because it adds to how exotic the oil is and it has a nice pump which means there is minimal wastage as opposed to it if you had to pour it out. With its cost, the last thing you would want is any waste. I particularly like the way the glass bottle is tightly fitted with its black pump in a way that prevents spillage with its plastic cap to hold it all together. Although, the packaging is excellent, you may need to dispense it onto a smaller bottle when travelling as you may experience some slight grease.

                                                          Ingredients/Composition
As usual, it contains the purest forms of natural essential oils which include Grape Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Vitamin E and other pure edible oils which are, of course, part of the secret oils that makes up the Gamila Secret. Further to this luxurious medley of oils, it also contains 15 healing herbs (secret herbs, don't ask me what they are..ask Savta Gamila :-)) which are blended in the purest form to produce this magic oil. If you want to know more about the Gamila Secret Production, Click here for their production/manufacturing video

                                                               How does it work?
According to the Gamila Secret Website, the Gamila Secret Face Oil is specially formulated to decrease wrinkles, soften and regenerate the skin helping it appear younger, more elastic and healthy. It does this by penetrating the deeper skin layers where it helps restore and rebalance the skin cells. If you know anything about the skin, you would know the skin has a high absorbing power which means it can absorb lotions and moisturisers easily and oils more easily especially when they are in a really pure state. 

                                                             Application/Formula
Let's begin with the scent or fragrance, it does not have any fancy fragrance or particularly smell nice. It smells like ...oil which is not my favorite fragrance. It still has an almost raw and organic smell to it but I am getting used to it now. You do have the option of buying the Wild Rose Gamila Secret Face Oil  which smells more pleasant like a bed of roses but it costs slight more at £85 which is no child's play. I know a lot of ladies are terrified of putting oil on their skin, how much more on their faces. I was initially sceptical about applying oil on my face because I already have both oily skin and combination skin on some parts of my face and I always look for ways to escape any oil or shine. My fears were really unfounded because the Gamila Secret Face Oil is easily absorbed on my face and leaves my skin with a non-greasy glow, if that makes any sense. I absolutely love it and I have not felt oily, if anything, it has helped control my shine during the day with the help of other products. I think it is simple logic; my skin produces excess oil during the day because it thinks I don't have enough oil and moisture and it tries to compensate for it but when I apply Gamila Secret Face Oil, it helps balance the oil productions and moisture and i get less shine..easy peasy...

                                                               My Experience
I am sure everyone may be a little tired of hearing me rave about this brand but I do really love the Gamila Secret Brand because their products are effective. I have used this oil since June and my skin has made some significant improvement. I bought this oil because I wanted to clear the dark blemishes and pigmentation i had from acne. In the light of that, I can say the blemishes and pigmentation have significantly reduced and no longer appear as dark as they used to be. There are still present but they are fading gradually which makes me really pleased. I have actually graduated from using concealer and foundation as my every day makeup to just using powder only. That really makes me very pleased. The most obvious change I have experienced is how soft my skin feels. It feels really healthy, soft and bright. It really is amazing although it may be hard to tell if I just concentrated on getting rid of my blemishes. 

                                                                          Cost
It is not cheap AT ALL but then it is worth every penny as I stated earlier. It costs £70 which is no joke at all but it does last a good while. I bought mine in June and I have used it every single day and night and I still have a considerable amount left which I think is brilliant. Although, it says I can use the Gamila Face Oil all over my body and hair, I restrict its use to my face only and occasionally my neck because I want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. You can buy the Gamila Secret Face Oil from the House of Fraser online or In store especially in the Oxford Circus Branch because they all don't stock this brand. You can also purchase the Gamila Secret Face Oil from the Gamila Secret website  if you are outside the UK and Gamila Secret UK website if you are in the UK. Also, you can keep up with them on the Gamila Secret Facebook page for any fabulous discounts. I think they are very generous with gifts especially in store as the first time I bough the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar, I received a free Travel Pouch and a sample of the Gamila Secret Hand Cream. When I bough the Gamila Secret Face Oil, I also received a free gift which was the Gamila Secret Dish and Face Oil all in one dish which looks amazing and exotic in my bathroom.

                                                                        Verdict
I would definitely purchase this again because I have seen a sustainable difference in my skin although my blemishes have not all disappeared because it does take some time but they are gradually fading away and becoming less obvious which means the world to me. As I stated earlier, i feel my skin texture and tone has improved significantly and while I still have the odd breakout here and there (when mother nature visits or when I eat crappy food), these breakout episodes have reduced significantly. I think it is worth trying out this product and I would rate it 8.5/10 only because it is quite expensive. 
I hope you enjoyed this post and I will see you in my next post...toodles...xxx

              

How to: DIY Home Spa Facial Treatment

Hey My Lovelies,

I hope your weekend has been relaxing; the sad thing about Sunday is that it goes too fast and heralds Monday before you can blink. Sundays are special to me because I go to church and pamper myself in many ways like sleeping for a long time, watching different movies, reading magazines or lazing about as usual. The most important and constant routine on sundays for me is my Facial Spa Treatment which I do for myself. I know it is more fun to have someone do it for me but I doubt if I can coax the BF to learn...hehehehe. I don't mind doing it myself though; it's still fun. I am going to share my home facial spa routine with you...let's get started

                                                               Cleanse

This is my number one step as always and I go to my trust L'Oreal Micellar Solution (previously raved about here) and wipe off any makeup on my face. I use cotton pads for this and it feels refreshing like water which is why I love it and it takes off my makeup effectively. I use the Lancome Cleansing Milk for my eyes because it is effective, hydrating and gentle; I love this lil sample so much. Next, I grab my favourite cleansing tool, my body shop facial brush armed with the Balance Me Cleansing Wash (mini review) and scrub gently to remove any traces of makeup still left and rinse. I pat my face with my face towel but I leave it a little damp for my next step.

                                                                    Mask it up

Next, I apply a thin layer of the Aqua Mineral Spa Mud Mask which has been featured here already. I apply in a circular motion to encourage circulation by nudging the blood flow to the top of my skin. This helps to draw out any dirt or oil or makeup that may have been embedded in my skin through the week that have escaped my powerful cleansers. I leave this on for about 15 minutes or so and rinse off ensuring no residue is left. I prefer to use mildly warm water.

                                                              Gentle Exfoliation

Knowing that some dead skin may be lurking around with the embedded impurities removed by the mud mask, I use the Lancome Smoothing Exfoliating Cream which has micro bead which are gentle but effectively remove dead skin cells from the skin's surface without bruising delicate skin. I love this product and it smells really nice although I know many ladies prefer skin care products to be free from fragrance. I use this also in circular motions to encourage blood flow and leave it on for a minute or two and rinse off.

                                                                 Toners

Next step is the toning with the Lancome Hydrating Toner (review here) which helps balance out the PH of my skin from all the drying out of the above steps. I particularly like this toner because it is also hydrating and does not contain alcohol so it leaves your skin soft, hydrated and PH balanced.

                                                                    Moisturise

Now that the skin is back to its balanced PH, I moisturise it with my favourite moisturiser which is actually an oil. I know many people who have oily skin are scared to use oils on their face with good reason. But there are oils and there are oils! If you opt for oils that are sources from the most natural sources ever, you will find that it is absorbed into your skin easily without leaving the evil shine we hate so much. That's exactly what you get with the Gamila Secret Facial Oil (review coming soon). To say, I love this oil will be an understatement. It feeds and nourishes my skin and I use it both morning and night and especially for my spa treatment. I apply this lightly on my face with a gentle massage.

                                                               Hydrate

I know many people will have done this step before using the oil but i prefer it this way and this has worked better for me. I prefer to put some moisture and water back to hydrate my skin after using my oil. As i mentioned earlier, the Gamila Secret Oil gets absorbed within two to three minutes so I use the Lancome Hydrating Mask to lock everything in. This mask really really makes my skin feel soft. I apply some of it on my face, leave it to absorb for about 5-7 minutes as wipe off any excess. Note: i only wipe off the excess not the product in itself. I leave this on over night. In the morning, I wake up to the softest and most glowing face ever. Sometimes, I add a little eye cream like the one below which is the Lancome Absolue Precious Cells Eye Cream.

You can see why I love Sundays a lot because it is my day; a day where I do all the things I have dreamt of all week and I honestly think my sundays give me the motivation for the previous week. I hope you enjoyed my Home Spa Facial Edition. Have a blessed week ahead and see you in my next post...toodles...xxx

Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Giveaway Winner

Hi Lovelies,
Firstly, I am really sorry for not posting this up yesterday. I was really busy but I am glad I am finally posting it up now. I want to say a massive big THANK YOU to everyone who entered the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Giveaway/Contest and I wish I could give prizes to everyone who entered the giveaway. I also want to express my gratitude to the lovely team at Gamila Secret UK for sponsoring this giveaway.

Now the moment we are all waiting for......*drum rolls*...

I used Random.org for transparency. Random.org is a free randomizer site which you can use to pick winners for contests etc. I had 15 entries so it was arranged from the first comment to the last comment. I clicked on the randomize button and the first name that shows in a random order is the winner... 

The Winner is.................

                     "SOLARRIDE RIVERNIK..."

Thank you so much for entering this Giveaway and congratulations for winning. I hope you enjoy using the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar and I would love to hear your feedback on how your experience.

Please contact me on Liv@fashstyleliv.com for details of your address so I can post your winning prize to you.

For everyone else who entered but did not win, I would be having another Giveaway at beginning of August and it would be slightly bigger so we can have at least two winners. Thank you once again and see you in my next post....

Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Giveaway (CLOSED Internationally)

Hi Lovelies,

I have some exciting news for you all. I am hosting a giveaway in conjunction with Gamila Secret but let's talk a little about how this wonderful giveaway came about. I am sure you must have read my Initial review of the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar, if you have not, head off and have a quick read. 

Here is a brief overview of the Gamila Secret Brand.....

"Gamila Secret was created by Gamila Hiar who has put in about 40 years of research to produce this amazement of a soap. Gamila Hiar is of Druze Origin and lives in Galilee, Israel. She had always been around herbs and natural oils growing up as a young lady and was passionate about producing a perfect all in one skin care bar which would cater to a host of skin requirements. Gamila Secret Cleansing Bars are made up of 100% natural products right down to the production of all the packaging. They are 100% handmade and one cleansing bar takes about 3-6 months to obtain the final product. If you are interested in more information about the history or background of Gamila Secret, you can head off to their Facebook Page  for all info"

I could not resist taking a sneaky picture of their counter in House of Fraser; it looked so exotic

So, I posted the review on the Gamila Secret Facebook Page and I did not expect to get a reply or anything. I was pleasantly surprised when Gamila Secret contacted me with a lovely heartfelt message about my review which I thought was really sweet and kind. Not stopping there, Gamila Secret has decided to give away to one of my lucky readers a Gamila Secret Original Cleansing Bar  which is the best seller of the whole brand because it is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. It can even be used on babies which shows how gentle yet effective it could be. Let's take a nice look at the prize for this giveaway

Also included is a small sample of the ever nourishing Gamila Secret Hand Cream....

I was excited that they offered to sponsor this giveaway because I know a lot of you liked Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Initial Review Blog Post and wanted to try it out but were not willing to part with £21. So, this is a chance to try out this wonderful soap. Now, to the rules of the giveaway. I am keeping it as simple as possible because I hate giveaways that have a lot of rules. 

                                         RULES OF THIS GIVEAWAY

1. Be a follower/subscriber of my blog either via BlogLovin or Google Connect and leave a Comment below this Giveaway blog post.

2. Like Gamila Secret Facebook Page and leave a Comment under my Review on their page (so we can see you and show you some love too). 

 P.S. The Gamila Secret Facebook Page offer some discounts and offers so liking their page will keep you informed and up to date of this juicy offers.

3. Like FashStyleLiv Facebook Page

This Giveaway will be open Internationally to everyone (Yup, Yup). If you are under 18 years old, we would need permission from your parents/guardians. 

EasyPeasy, No? I think it is:-)... This Giveaway will run from now 12th June 2013 to 12 July 2013 which is a full month. The winner will be chosen using Random.Org for transparency and will be announced and contacted on the 13th July 2013.

A Massive Thank you to Gamila Secret for kindly sponsoring this Giveaway and to all you my wonderful readers for all your support and love.....

When I went to their counter in House of Fraser to pick up this lovely giveaway prize,  I could not resist taking some pictures of their stand/counter...I think it looks exotic, don't you agree?...

Thank you and I look forward to reading from you all....Good luck!!!....xxxx

Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar Initial Review

Hey lovelies,
I hope everyone has been having a lovely week. So, I have been on the quest for healthy and blemish free skin for a while now. I have decided to add a new page to my blog which would be a Skin Care series just to formalise my quest. I suggest you check out my previous blog post here which lets you know what kind of skin I have and a few products I have tried. You can also check out my review of the Gamila Secret Face Oil here.

Before now, I had never heard about Gamila Secret Cleansing Bars. I went into House of Fraser in Oxford Circus some time last month to have a little window shopping. I was about to leave when a cheerful sales lady asked if I would be willing to try out the Gamila Secret brand which was unknown to me. Normally, I would politely decline but she was really nice and sweet so I decided to give it a try and keep an open mind. The brand is called Gamila Secret which has been around for a little while and is popular amongst stars like Madonna, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and a host of others.

                                                                      http://www.gamilasecret.com/

 I didn't know this though until later when I decided to check the internet. The sales lady was so nice and she kindly gave me a Free Travel Pouch and Sample of the Hand Cream. This is an initial review as I have only used this for a week and half now. To the review of this amazing bar, let's get started, shall we?

Background
Gamila Secret was created by Gamila Hiar who has put in about 40 years of research to produce this amazement of a soap. Gamila Hiar is of Druze Origin and lives in Galilee, Israel. She had always been around herbs and natural oils growing up as a young lady and was passionate about producing a perfect all in one skin care bar which would cater to a host of skin requirements. Gamila Secret Cleansing Bars are made up of 100% natural products right down to the production of all the packaging. They are 100% handmade and one cleansing bar takes about 3-6 months to obtain the final product. If you are interested in more information about the history or background of Gamila Secret, you can head off to their Facebook Page  for all info.

                                                                                                            http://www.gamilasecret.com/

Composition
All Gamila Secret Cleansing Bars are made up of at least 15 different hand picked wild herbs which make up the "secret" of Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar. A few of these wild herbs include Roman Nettle, Lavender, Chamomile, Rosemary, Vervain, Sage, Rue and Pistachio which are bound in a base of Shea butter and a mixture of  a minimum of 80% pure Virgin Vegetable Oils which include Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Laurel Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Grape Seed Oil. The soap is handmade which includes at least 40 hours cooking process with each herb added at the appropriate time for optimal extraction of its active ingredients and a period of 4 to 6 months for drying, stamping and curving the edges. A lot of love and utmost care has been put into just one piece of cleansing bar which justifies the price which I will come to later. Keep reading :-)

                 
Variants:

Depending on what kind of skin you have, Gamila Secret has at least one variant to cater for either Normal, Dry, Oily or Combination Skin. It comes in ten variants which are made with special herbs that caters to each kind of skin and these variants include:

• All Skin Types: Original and Wild Rose(Premium Line)
• Dry Skin: Lavender Heaven and Creamy Vanilla
• Combination Skin: Jasmine Comfort, Reviving Rosemary and Soothing Geranium
• Combination to Oily Skin: Spearmint Sparkle, Miracle Mentha and Lively Lemon grass

I chose the Lively Lemongrass as advised by the sales lady since I have oily skin around my T zones and combination skin in other areas of my face.

Packaging:
I absolutely love the packaging. It is not fancy but it is so well put together and everything used is 100% handmade. You can feel the love through the packaging. All the products come in proper boxes which have information of the product, its use and how to take care of it. It is one package I will actually keep just because I love how original it looks and I know I am protecting our environment as well. The Travel Pouch (which was a free gift to me) is made of 100% cotton and jute(I think).

Application:
It is pretty simple and straightforward to use. I simply take off my make up with wipes and dampen my face with some warm water. Next, I run some warm water and rub the soap between my fingers in order to activate the "live ingredients" as instructed. I massage it for about 20-30 seconds until I have a slimy and foamy lather. 

Then, I slather this on my face and gently massage it in with small circular motions. Sometimes, I actually use my small face brush for extra exfoliating action. I leave it on for about 3-5 minutes just because I want to maximise its absorption into my skin. Most times, it actually dries out on my face and then I rinse it off. Once I rinse off, my face feels squeaky clean and soft but a little dry if I leave it without moisturising so I use my toner and moisturiser and I am ready for the day or bed depending on what time of the day.

Usage and Storage
I use this every morning and night and it has been a wonderful experience so far. My skin feels softer  and more radiant which is very good. Many people, including myself, feel uncomfortable using bar soaps for cleansing because leaving the wet soap on a soap dish may breed bacteria which could be introduced to the face and cause some havoc. 

In order to combat this, I suggest you get either get the waterproof Travel Pouch or a Stone Dish which I also bought. The Stone dish is the perfect way to store this soap because the chances of bacteria growing on the stone is very very minimal and it actually dries out the soap completely so it is always dry and fresh; ready to use.

Results
I have seen a couple of people on some reviews saying they suffered some breakouts in the first few weeks of using this soap. I have been lucky so far and I have not experienced any at all to my delight. I think these breakouts may be because they may have been some dirt lurking around under the skin. I have always had quite a good cleansing routine due to my sensitive and acne prone skin so I guess the dirt underneath is minimal so it had no cause to break me out. I have to say I have been absolutely amazed at the results I have got so far. They are not a marked huge difference per say but it is visible to me. My skin feels really soft and radiant in a good way. 

Best of all, my dark acne blemishes are really getting less visible which was the main reason for buying this soap. I love the fact that it is a slow but sure process. Gamila Secret advises its customers to use this soap for at least 28 days to see any significant changes because the human skin takes about 28 days to regenerate and I think that's absolutely fine. Also, clients are advised to keep the use of other skin care products to a minimal which makes sense since some of the ingredients in those skin care products may have a lot of artificial ingredients and preservatives which may interfere with the way Gamila Secret Bar works. I will definitely put up pictures of my face in a before and after style when I have used this cleansing bar for about a month as instructed. For now, hope you enjoy the other pictures of the products.

Cost
This baby is not cheap at all, in fact, it is quite pricey. My Gamila Secret Lively Lemon Grass cost £21.00 but I got it for £18.90 because House of Fraser was having a 10% discount. For a cleansing bar, it may be pricey but I think it is worth every penny because you can see visible results and your skin would definitely thank you for it. 

The Gamila Secret Dish for storing the soap retails for £10 but I got it for £9 which is not too bad because it is a good quality stone soap dish and it makes the soap look exotic in my bathroom and of course helps keep the soap in optimum condition. I was gifted with the Travel Pouch by the nice sales lady :-) but it retails for £6.50 and it is an excellent way for storing the soap when you are out and about like me. 

It has waterproof material inside which dries the soap and prevents it from wetting other items in your bag. I think the whole brand is very practical and well thought out. You can find the Gamila Secret products in store in House of Fraser in UK and on their website if you live elsewhere. I am not sure but I believe they ship internationally.

Cons

• The first will have to be its cost. I know it is handmade and 100% natural but the cost may make it less affordable to everyone especially because it is a cleansing bar. 
• Another con is the fact that you have to either buy the secret dish or find a good way to store a dripping soap to prevent bacteria from proliferating. 
• Also, I think the easiest way to buy it is via the website because it is not readily available in many stores you can walk into. In fact, not all the House of Fraser actually stock it. I got this one from the Oxford Circus branch. 
• Just like any bar soap, the chances of experiencing dryness of the skin is very high so you need to ensure you moisturise adequately. 
• The steps involved in application such as rubbing the soap for at least 30 seconds under warm water to activate the ingredients to form a slimy lather may delay people who are on the go and have no time.

Overall Verdict

I love this soap so much and I am sure you can tell from this post. It is by far one of the best cleansing bars I have ever used. It gives results that you can see and feel. The fact that everything is 100% natural, handmade and organic won me over way before I used it. To be honest, if a product delivers what it says, I don't care how much it costs. I would rather spend a little more on a sure product than save pennies on products that are just a necessary fancy in the bathroom cabinet. This is just my initial review just to introduce this brand and tell you guys how much I love this brand. I will be posting a final review with pictures and results after the 30 days challenge of using it. So, I will keep you posted on this one. Wish me luck in my quest for perfect healthy and blemish free skin. Leave me comments on how you take care of your skin. I would love to read from you guys; it makes my day :-)))...xxx

*DISCLOSURE: I have no material relationship to any brand or person mentioned in this post. All Opinions are mine and the products were bought and paid for by me.