Kim Gray » Before and After

Kitchen Before & After: Part 4 Progress

Kim — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 05:16:04 +0000

Wow, so the team from W.O.M.A.G Phoenix Stone are super efficient. Templates went in to take measurements for the new tops for my Kitchen Make Over.

BEFORE:

Placing the new Franke Basin from ON TAP.

Ai, so excited to see the new tops!

SPONSORS:

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Kiehl’s week 3

Kim — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 05:17:06 +0000

Here’s an update from some of the Kiehl’s Challengers, week 3 of trying out the Midnight Recovery Concentrate! (Here’s a reminder of their skins 1 wk in) Pop back to see everyone’s final verdicts as they enter 4 wks of trying out their little bottles of goodness! Final round up end of the wk! xx

Alex:

Week 3 KCYSC – I am still loving using this product but, like you, I am tending to use 4-5 drops as opposed to the recommended 2-3. Even so the bottle is still virtually full so this product really lasts which is amazing!

I don’t see an enormous amount of difference between the photos I took in week 2 and the new ones from week 3 but I still think the product is making a subtle difference to the overall condition of my skin.

There is still that natural glow and my pigmentation seems to be lessening and a few people have started commenting that my skin looks great which tells me I am not imagining it! (yay I am not crazy…)

Two Weeks in:

3 weeks in:

Pippa:

Into week 3 of the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate challenge and not much more to report than last week.

I am definitely still enjoying using the product, but I have had break-out of all breakouts over the last week unfortunately, so that has kind of overshadowed any joy I may have experienced from using KMRC.

Honestly it’s been one mountain after the other appearing on my chin and around my hairline, so hideous. I have never really suffered from bad skin so when I do I don’t cope very well! I don’t think it has anything to do with using Kiehl’s though, I’m pretty sure it is hormonal – a pregnancy side-effect. Nice.

Anyway, moving on from the breakouts. When I look at previous photos I do think my skin is looking generally good so I’m happy with the product. There is possibly less puffiness in the mornings which I’ve noticed, and it might be getting a little smoother in texture…but other than that I haven’t noticed any massive CHANGES to my skin – I think my skin just looks generally good.

These photos aren’t fantastic as I have dark rings under my eyes, but I took about 15 and these were the best of the lot!

Bianca:

Hello everyone!

So it’s week 3 of using the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. The difference between week 2 and 3 hasn’t been vast, which is totally fine with me. I like that this product has made a dramatic difference for me over the first 2 weeks of using it, so you really can get the reassurance rather quickly that it is doing its job. Too often I buy a new product and use it for about a month and you can’t really tell a difference. It’s so great to actually see a product working within the first 2 weeks of using it. That’s a big bonus for me, especially if you are going to go out and purchase something pricey.

My skin is still smoother than ever and more plump and radiant. I am now on the hunt for the perfect tinted moisturizer/BB cream/light coverage foundation so that on the days where I don’t feel like going for full coverage I can easily rock the light foundation look too. I am so excited about this, I’ve always been jealous of woman who could wear hardly any foundation and look amazing – now I can too! Thanks Kiehl’s for making this possible!

As for me – I’m just really happy with the consistency of my skin. My skin texture is more evened, skin still feeling plumped and I’m feeling more confident with bare skin as opposed to tinted moisturiser. This product has me wanting to try loads more Kiehl’s products.

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Kiehl’s Challengers – Before + a WIN

Kim — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:17:34 +0000

Welcome my first few brave young Kiehl’s challengers! Here’s a little introduction and some skin before photo’s. I can’t wait to see how they progress with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

Bianca – Before

I’ve battled for years with my skin, testing out different products that I thought would help stop the blemishes. My skin is sensitive in the sense that it reacts to dirt and un-removed make up. If I don’t cleanse my face with the correct products or remove my make up properly I will definitely have an uninvited blemish on my face the next morning. I have therefore become pedantic about my night-time routine, paying careful attention to cleanse my face properly. I have also noticed that my skin prefers ‘natural’ products. The products I am using at the moment are all ‘natural’ or ‘clean’ products. My skin is very pale so any blemishes usually leave redness for a few weeks after. For the more stubborn blemishes I’ve been known to scar. I have freckles on my face, and some hyper pigmentation in between, despite staying out of the sun. I am very sensitive to the sun and wear an SPF 40 over my moisturizer every day, even in winter. So now that I’ve finally got my cleansing routine under control with the correct products, I would like to tackle my redness, scarring and hyper pigmentation.

My nighttime routine goes like this. I use Bioderma Sensibio H2O to take off my eye make up (if you’ve never tried this you HAVE to) and then wipe the rest of my face make up off with a Johnson’s face wipe. I then saturate a cotton pad with some more Bioderma and wipe that across my face to make sure any stubborn make up gets removed (see told you I was pedantic). I then use a clay cleanser for blemish prone skin from REN to cleanse my face and remove any bacteria that could still be clinging to the surface. At the moment I am following this up with my daytime moisturizer (Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream Light) as this seems to work for now as I haven’t found a night-time treatment that I like yet. So this is where the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate will come in. I have used a sample of this before and couldn’t believe the difference in my skin the very first morning after use. I cannot wait to see what this will do over 28 days. Here’s to brighter, plumper and more beautiful skin!

Delphine – Before

There is absolutely nothing as exciting as the promise of a new skincare miracle. As excited about trying the Midnight Recovery Concentrate as I am there is nothing as scary as taking a barefaced
Up close and personal photo of your skin and then looking at it really critically, only to then realise that you are going to put it out there for the blog world to see! However I am quite happy with the condition of my skin at the moment.
My current evening skincare routine consists of Dermalogica Ultra Calming Face wash, Multi active toner, Prevage eye serum and Dermalogica hydrating booster followed by Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream. Once a week I exfoliate and use the Vitaderm Mask Essential .For the challenge I will be using the midnight concentrate instead of the hydration booster and skin smoothing cream to start off with. So let’s see where Kiehls takes my skin in the next 28 days.

#Changeyourskin

Pippa – Before

A couple of weeks ago I was selected by Kim Gray to be one of 5 bloggers/readers, to trial Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate for 28 days, to see if it will ‘CHANGE MY SKIN’.

I recently tried the Kiehl’s Creme De Corps, based on a friend’s recommendation and I was really impressed with it. I got given 5 sachets to try for 5 days from the lady at the Kiehl’s section in Edgars. My winter crocodile-skin-legs were literally non-existent for those 5 days, so I have enjoyed my brief introduction to the Kiehl’s brand so far.

Lately I have re-discovered the whole pampering thing where I actually take time out to apply serums and lotions and exfoliators to my skin, over and above the standard cleanse-tone-moisturise skin care routine. So I was super chuffed to be selected for this challenge, and I couldn’t WAIT to try this product.

Here’s me after having washed my face last night..Yes, I know I look tired and dull, it’s cause sadly I am exactly that at the moment.

Don’t focus on the breakout on my forehead – that happened out of the blue two days ago.

And this is me after having applied the concentrate – not as dull huh?

Ok now I’m looking my REAL best (I probably had one of the worst night’s sleep ever last night) – first thing in the morning…let’s see if this Midnight Recovery did some work…

Obviously it’s Day 1 so there’s nothing to really notice here, but keep following for the next month and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on what this KMRC is doing for me and my skin.

** By the way the scent alone is just beautiful, I feel pampered before I even apply it to my face.

Do pop back to see their and my progress with Kielh’s Midnight Recovery.

TO WIN:

Now 3 lucky Kim Gray Readers stand the chance to WIN a bottle of Kiehl’s Mightnight Recovery Concentrate Magic for themselves to trial. Simply follow our journey. Leave a comment on our Kiehl’s posts, tweet about it, share the posts etc. 3 of the most interactive readers by the end of the 28 days challenge will win a bottle of their own gold.

NB to help you along the way:

Tweet @kimgray @KiehlsSA,

https://www.facebook.com/KiehlsSouthAfrica

https://www.facebook.com/kimgrayza

#changeyourskin

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My Design Series: Bedroom make over

Kim — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:48:43 +0000

So a while back I started this bedroom make over – see the before journey here! Finally I have some fabulous finishing touches!

Floor paint, Plascon Grey FPT7, Walls, Plascon Cashmere Plush Matt White

Mohair blanket, Linen Drawer

Muuto Wall Hooks, Entrepo

Scatter cushions, Skinny laMinx, Floor mats, Moroccan Warehouse

Pictures, images from our Moroccan Trip framed by Print Wild. Print Wild offers a fabulous service! Upload your favourite images and have them printed, framed, blown up on canvas, as sticky wall stickers and more! They arrived really well wrapped and protected. I love not having to get into the car! So framing forward with Print Wild!

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Patio before & after

Kim — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 05:07:28 +0000

When we moved into our house we pulled out all the bamboo reeds from the patio roof as they were a little worse for ware, and screeded the patio which was bricked before. So I was very excited to do a very over-due, refresh of our patio recently.

BEFORE:

Sticks from The Pole Yard are slotted in.

Then I rescue two old Mr Price lanterns from our wedding and get busy! I’ve sprayed them in Plascon Perfect Finish Gloss White. I used 3 cans for the 2 lanters. I could have probably used less but I did spray them in the wind. ( Stupid but you know the feeling when you want something done NOW!)

AFTER:

And Voilà! Simple, yet effective.

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My Design Series

Kim — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:35:11 +0000

So I’ve got “My Design Series” going again, and I’ve got a little bed room and garden make over on the go. I popped down to Moroccan Warehouse to get some grass mats for my guest-room make-over ( A wee sneak peak below) and so many other things, as per usual, caught my eye.

Gorgeous sequinned, kelim pouffes.

OK but you can’t buy these rugs as I want one!!

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Hector & Bailey

Kim — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:25:13 +0000

Hector & Bailey is an interiors company in Durban that also brings back forgotten treasures to life! Also check out their inspiring design blog here.

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My design series

Kim — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:34:06 +0000

These chairs were my first furniture purchase when I was living with my folks – and heading out the nest I got them at a Weylandts Sale, man was I proud.

Many years later they are scuffed and not really fitting in with the new house . . .I’ve been dying to recover them for ages. I’ve debated hessian coffee bags and all sorts, but one designer and print stuck in my mind. So off to see Heather Moore of Skinny laMinx at her studio it was.

I chose the Orla print in Lemon Reverse.

Oh my gosh and I am thrilled! How fab do they look?

For upholstery – you can call Kay – 0822976204 – They are right close to the Biscuit Mill. See here for more of Heather’s amazing fabrics.

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MY DESIGN SERIES

Kim — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:58:35 +0000

So, a lot has happened so far. Last week I introduced you to my new ‘My Design Series‘. A series that will grow from a boring grey shell, to my design dream. I’ll feature building before and afters to soft furnishings. So excited!

Cupboard doors are being replaced and all the cracks are being filled up to prepare our home for a fresh coat of paint. How paint can freshen up a space… I can’t wait to see it looking light and bright.

This was one of the images we gave Mortice & Tenon as inspiration for our new bathroom. I was thrilled with the drawings they did below as to what our bathroom will look like. See more bathrooms by Mortice & Tenon here and here.

The progress so far ….

Bricks are lifted to lay a new patio.

Paint swatches are up to transform the walls from drab to fab. (No doubt the walls worked for the previous owners home). Samples of grey screed flooring are put down. Below, cracks are reinforced before the screed work begins.

Oooh, and a new dicovery. Our outside room (to be Kim Gray’s brand new office) sports Terracotta Tiles under the carpets… The kitchen is terracotta so we’ll clean these up so that the outside room ties in with the inside of the house, matching the kitchen floors and freshly painted walls.

I can’t wait to share more …

My Design Series is Sponsored by Mortice & Tenon.

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MY DESIGN SERIES

Kim — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:26:30 +0000

I’m so excited to start another new series on my blog. By now, some of you know we’ve just purchased our first house after being in a flat for 6 years. It still feels totally surreal and I’m so excited with what we have in store for our new home. Over the next few months, I will document its progress.

We were super impressed with the professionalism and quote we received from Mortice & Tenon who will be doing our renovations. We also had a great referral as my brother and sister-inlaw have just used them.

The first day . . . Mortice and Tenon get messy! Bathroom and floors are stripped.

So if you’re keen on design, pop back and see how our home evolves… I am not a 100% sure which direction I’m going in yet. . . Moroccan sanitary ware or sleek modem finishes . . . pop back and see what happens. Maybe you have some advice?

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