Balance Me #FACEtheday

April 11, 2016 - Vicki 2 Comments

On the theme of #FACEtheday balanceMe have released a few products to help us do just that. They kindly sent them to me to try out along with some delicious healthy snacks and tea. I’m a complete tea addict and have to say that my early morning cuppa is one of the only thing that helps me #FACEtheday – a Pulsin Chocolate Brownie always helps too (so tasty).

Balance Me Instant Pore Minimiser £22.00

Its aimed at smoothing pores, plumping fine lines and giving your skin that flawless finish. This is an incredibly lightweight product, and is light enough to use on top of your moisturiser. Its quite fluid but doesn’t feel oily or greasy. I like to use it under my makeup too because it gives such a nice finish to my foundation and my makeup applies so smoothly.

It contains a blend of Active Botanical Oils including rosehip, frankincense and bergamot. As well as lots of other skin beneficial ingredients –

Visible pores – Acacia Gum refines and lifts the skin’s surface to instantly tighten and blur enlarged pores
Mature skin – Acemlla Oleracea Extract relaxes muscle contractions to reduce depth of fine lines and wrinkles while preventing future signs of ageing
Normal skin – Hyaluronic Acid instantly smooths and plumps for a flawless, refined skin surface

I found this did give me that smooth, soft focus finish and even brightened my complexion. It was great at lessening the appearance of fine lines, especially on my forehead but I think in terms of seeing a lifting result this wasn’t instantly visible. I think this is a result that may happen over time and be a long term benefit of using this product. It gets my seal of approval but my only criticism is that I wish it was fragrance free because the scent is quite strong.

Balance Me Tinted Wonder Eye Cream*

If you struggle to look bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning without applying half your makeup arsenal then I think you will love this simple but effective makeup skincare hybrid. I have naturally dark under eye circles, so even when I want a makeup free day I still find that I have to apply a little concealer to that area just to add a touch or brightness so I was excited to learn that this Balance Me Eye Cream is tinted and offers not only coverage but also hydration and radiance. Its so easy to use and get noticeable results.

It contains some great skin beneficial ingredients,

Cucumber Seed Oil: Gently cools, calms and moisturises skin to reduce puffiness and brighten skin tone

Rosehip Oil: A powerful and vital skin antioxidant that encourages cell growth and renewal.

Arctic Cloudberry Seed Extract: Rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin E this wonder-berry creates a barrier, protecting skin from environmental damage.

A little product goes a long way and as I said on no makeup days this gives my under eyes enough coverage to look fresh and awake and much less dark. Its smoothing and lightweight, I have been using this religiously for a couple of weeks now.

*PR Sample

Spring Awakening Skincare Products

April 7, 2016April 19, 2018 - Vicki 2 Comments

Soap & Glory Heel Genius

My feet need some TLC after Winter & the fact that they have permanently been in socks or slippers for months. Now that the weather is getting warmer and I’m thinking about more Spring / Summer appropriate footwear I want my feet to look their best. My feet don’t get that dry but I do like to apply some of the Soap & Glory Heel Genius at night and let it soften my tootsies overnight before washing it off in the morning. It is quite greasy but it does a great job so I can live with that odd tacky feeling overnight, sometimes I put on some socks so it doesn’t get on my bedding. This smells lovely, as do all the Soap & Glory products and it’s just a great affordable product. A tube lasts for ages, I think I have had this over a year and its still going strong.

ESPA Naturally Radiant Gradual Tan*

I’m terrible at all things related to fake tan, I’m a complete novice and to be honest, the thought of fake tanning scares the hell out of me. So I tend to stick to the gradual tanners, I find them more subtle and a little more user-friendly. This ESPA one gives a gorgeous (natural) summer holiday glow. It’s extremely lightweight and feels nourishing and hydrating. It has a real no fuss or mess formula. You apply it like a body lotion and leave it to work its magic & give your skin a gorgeous natural glow which develops over four hours and intensifies each day. This smells incredible.

TonyMoly I’m Real Radiance Sheet Mask

I love using sheet masks – they force you to relax and take 20 minutes for yourself. These Tony Moly ones are affordable and come with 11 options for all different skin concerns. I use the radiance one the most, its infused with tomato fruit extract to boost radiance, smooth, and moisturise. Its also contains peach fruit extract, which brightens, hydrates, and refreshes the complexion.This mask is so good if like me you have naturally lacklustre skin. The sheet masks itself a great size for my quite small face and is very moist. I apply it to clean skin and leave it on for about 20 – 30 minutes, then I pat in the residue product and my skin looks so refreshed and glowing. These really are fantastic and so affordable.

Clinique Super City Block SPF40

This is one of my favourite lightweight facial sun protectors, I’m pretty disciplined these days and I wear quite a high factor broad spectrum SPF on a daily basis. It is now part of my daily skincare routine. I have been using the Clinique Super City Block for about a year now and I’ve found that it wears so well under makeup. It never leaves my skin feeling or looking greasy and It provides a high level of protection from UVA & UVB rays as well as environmental aggressors. The cream itself is a light beige and it has a slight tint but it fades once blended into the skin. I wouldn’t be without a tube of this & highly recommend if you’re looking for a new SPF that won’t break you out or feel heavy on the skin.

What products do you always repurchase to get you ready for Spring / Summer?

*PR Sample & this post contains affiliate links

Four Affordable Skincare Favourites

March 29, 2016August 25, 2025 - Vicki 6 Comments

We all love a bargain, right!? So I thought I would share 4 of my favourite affordable skincare products.

Garnier Micellar Water All-in-1 Waterproof Makeup Remover & Cleanser

Micellar waters are great if you wear quite heavy eye makeup and like to remove the bulk of it before you cleanse. I have found the Garnier ones to be the best I have tried, they now do a few versions for different skin types, but I think they’re all pretty much alike. This one in the blue bottle is for removing waterproof makeup & I have to say it’s pretty damn good. You don’t have to tug or rub at your eyes, just hold the cotton pad on your eye for about a minute and gently wipe the makeup away. It’s also very good at removing lip stains & matte lip products. This new Garnier skin active version is a bi phase formula so you need to make sure you shake it up first. You get a lot of product for your money, and a bottle lasts me a couple of months. This is fragrance free and contains no alcohol.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil

I simply love this product, it’s like liquid silk. It’s a serum blended with a combination of oils including sunflower, jojoba, marula, soya, and sesame, and it also has wheatgerm oil which is high in antioxidants. I use a couple of drops in my evening skincare routine when my skin is looking dull and dryer than normal. I massage a few drops on to clean skin and let it work its magic whilst I sleep. It’s great at hydrating and reviving my skin and making it look like it’s well rested and radiant. This is so affordable and a lovely product to have in your skincare routine. I love the vitamin E range, but this is by far my favourite product from the range.

Lacura Anti Ageing Handcream With Argan Oil

Lacura is Aldi’s skincare brand so all their products are affordable, I like quite a few of their products but have been using this a tonne over the past few weeks. I am not 100% keen on the scent of this hand cream, but I like how non-greasy it is. I use hand cream so often throughout the day I just can’t deal when it leaves my hands feeling tacky or greasy, so it’s important I have one that instantly absorbs and lets me get on with what I am doing without having to wait for it to dry down. This Lacura one from Aldi does just that, and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft.

Soap & Glory Face Soap & Clarity 3-in-1 Daily Facial Wash

This face wash has a gel like consistency and lots of tiny soft scrub beads which are great for lightly exfoliating your skin. They’re not at all abrasive or scratchy. I like that it feels cooling on my skin and is lovely to massage in and really give your skin a thorough cleanse, leaving it looking radiant. I rinse this off with a hot cloth, and it’s great at removing makeup without leaving my skin feeling tight or dry. It smells so good too, really uplifting and fresh. I have a huge bottle of it too which has lasted me so long & I’m only about halfway through it.

Let me know what your favourite affordable skincare products are.

Current Favourite Cleansers

March 24, 2016August 7, 2017 - Vicki 5 Comments

Clinique Take The Day of Cleansing Balm

I have two balms to talk about in this post & the Clinique one is the first balm cleanser I have ever tried. It has been a love story ever since. This is such a lovely product to take your makeup off with because its so gentle on the skin. I take a 10p sized amount and really massage that into my skin to breakdown the makeup and help loosen all the grime from the day. The balm starts off in a solid form, once you start massaging it in to the skin it turns in to a fluid oil. I use a warm cloth to remove the product and all my makeup and grime. My skin is left soft and clean, Its a HG product for me.

Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm*

This is another fantastic balm to oil cleanser, you need a little less product and I find if you use too much of the Pixi one its a lot harder to remove the oily residue. If you use just the right amount this is a really nice nourishing cleanser that removes your makeup with very little effort. With these balm cleansers make sure you take the time to massage them in to your skin, I spend a good couple of minutes doing this. This balm contains sweet almond oil, shea butter and vitamin E, so as well as removing makeup & impurities this leaves your skin silky soft, hydrated and soothed. I really couldn’t pick a favourite out of the two but I think the Clinique one is slightly less greasy on the skin but the Pixi one is better if you wear heavy eye makeup.

Korres 3 in 1 Cleansing Emulsion

This says to use a cotton pad to rub this on to your skin, I like to use my hands and massage the soothing, cooling milky formula on to my skin. I do wash this off and its really good for the days when my skin is irritated or feeling especially dry, the soothing formula helps calm and hydrate. I wouldn’t repurchase this as Its not great at removing makeup, I would only use this in the morning or on days I don’t have makeup on. I much prefer my trusty Liz Earl Clean & Polish.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Grapefruit & Patchouli

I always have a bottle of the original C&P on the go, this is a cleanser that never lets me down. I haven’t used any of their limited edition scents and I’m kicking myself for not getting one sooner. This Grapefruit & Patchouli version smells so fresh, fruity and uplifting, I love to use this in the morning. Cleanse and Polish is a cream cleanser that you apply to dry skin and take off with a warm cloth, its great at removing makeup but I like to use it in the morning because the scent is just perfect to wake me up.

What cleansers are you using in your routine?

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