Two of our lovely bb staffers Vanessa and Felicity took the Feb 'Red Carpet Ready' product BeautyShot for a spin, to help their skin prep for (and survive) through two different events. Here's the low-down...

Vanessa

Skin sin: Over socialising and lack of sleep

"So, here I was thinking party season had well and truly finished. How very wrong I was. Looking through my diary, I seem to have something on most nights for the next few MONTHS! On top of two international trips and weekends away for weddings, I can fairly say that my skin will be looking a little under the weather. In my pre-emptive attempt to save my skin from late-nights, airplanes and alcohol, I’ve given BeautyShot Cosmetics Party Prep Serum a run. My first impression was on how user friendly the packaging is. You are given one ampoule to use per day, across 7 days. Each ampoule gives you the intended dose of 2 x applications per day. It smells really good too, which is a bonus for me. Most specialised treatments have quite an intense smell to them, which can be a big deterrent. Upon opening the little ampoule, you get a sweet waft of lavender and pomegranate.

I applied the Party Prep Serum in the morning under my makeup (the serum has a matte finish so it is perfect for a base) and then again at night after cleansing thoroughly and before my night cream. A little goes a long way too. The consistency is really thin and spreads evenly across your skin, so you will get 2 x applications out of what seems like not a lot of product. I couldn’t really notice any changes to my skin until day 3, when one of the girls commented on how “fresh” my skin was looking. Great, I’ll take that! I continued to treat my skin with the serum, eager to see the developments. I found that the last two days of treating were when I really noticed how firm and smooth my face was. I woke up looking less puffy, even after a long night and little beauty sleep. My skin was telling a very different story to how I was feeling!

I am going to do this treatment every month until my social life calms down and hibernation kicks in. It proved effective in not only the cost (cheaper than a most facials), usability, but also the results. Big tick in my books."

Felicity

Skin sin: Not prepping pre-wedding... yet!

"Oh my god  where did the time go? Only 12 weeks to my wedding?! Apparently I should have already started my “pre wedding skin care regime”?! Which of course I’ve left 'til the last minute… I’ll be honest: my regular daily skin care regime is extremely simple and doesn’t involve a lot of thought on my part, in fact it’s not uncommon for me to not really follow one! So when BeautyShot Emergency Serum was recommended to me I thought I may as well give it a red hot go! It’s a 7 day program (perfect for me, someone who wants results quickly and easily).

I really liked that the product was packaged in daily ampule’s so it was so easy to measure my morning and evening dose. The serum had a smooth texture, and melted into my skin easily, without leaving a greasy residue (perfect! As I tend towards oily skin, so can’t stand products that are greasy). The scent reminded me of walking out of my beauty salon after a recent facial, so I felt refreshed and relaxed after using the product.

Immediately after my first application my skin felt noticeably tighter. By the third day of using the  emergency serum I also noticed that my skin was feeling more hydrated, and softer to touch. On completion of the program I was already calculating into my pre-wedding schedule and when I could lock in another BeautyShot Emergency Serum week! I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with a special occasion coming up, who wants to give their skin care regime a an added boost, and to see a visible difference in their skin. And once my wedding is over (noooo!) I'll be looking to compensate the post-party blues with the BeautyShot Detox Serum, to try out another version of the range.

Have you tried BeautyShot shots? What did you think? What's your biggest skin sin? Spill in the comments below! And we couldn't leave without sharing this cute pic of the Alex Toys Monsters in my tub sneaking around with the Beauty Shots we sampled this month! How cute!? If you know a little one who'd be interested to see these monsters in their tub, be sure to sign up to our bellababy box here - they might be making an appearance in one very soon…

- Lauren