Skincare

Glow On & On

- Vicki 6 Comments

Makeup

I like to wear minimal makeup during the Summer months & these are a few of my favourite products to achieve that Summer Glow. First up are a few skincare products. The lovely but very expensive Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask* is great if you’re pushed for time, I apply this in the morning and leave it on for 20 minutes, if I’m not wearing makeup I will just massage the excess in to my skin and this looks very glowing (not shiny). It is very hydrating and plumps my skin and is packed full of vitamins and anti ageing ingredients to restore the vitality and freshness of young skin. I’m scared to say I’m contemplating purchasing the full size. The Origins Brighter By Nature Peel Pads are like my secret weapon in the fight against dull skin. I love products that promise to give me radiant skin and these peel pads are damn good. The fruit acids exfoliate your skin and remove all the dead skin to keep your skin looking healthy – perfect in somewhere thats quite polluted as they help remove that deep down dirt to reveal healthy bright skin.

Helping to revive my dull complexion is the Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base, I either mix this with my foundation or apply it as a primer.  I have the shade Champagne, a gorgeous slightly golden colour which adds a subtle highlight to your face, evens out my skin tone and helps cover my redness. This is very lightweight but still hydrating (which is important for the warmer months) this sits nicely on my skin, not greasy in the slightest. I think I am going to pick up the rose shade too.

The Benefit Hollyood Glo is a liquid bronzer in a bottle. This is perfect at giving you that sun kissed, healthy look without having to have stepped foot outside. I love that you can use this to achieve a subtle glow or apply lashings to make it look like you have been on a two week holiday to the Maldives. This bottle has been my go to Summer Holiday in a Bottle for years, I like to apply it to my cheek bones & down my nose, I love how little product you need, its my best kept secret (so don’t tell anyone …. it is discontinued). This is perfect for a night out as it keeps the skin looking fresh, healthy and dewy.

My under eye area is naturally dark so I always need a little extra help in brightening under there. I have been really enjoying this Avon Magix Eye Radiance Brightening Wand, it dries to a velvet texture and feels very smooth under my eye. It just adds that little extra pinky cream brightness to what can look a little dark. This isn’t a concealer but an extra step in hiding those pesky dark circles. The only thing thats a little annoying about this product is the doe foot applicator, I wish it had a pump.

Adding a little powder highlighter to my cheeks is a fool proof way of giving the skin an iridescent sheen / glow and I have quite a few products that I love. I managed to narrow it down to 3, the Milani Baked Blush in Rose D’Oro which is a beautiful pigmented peach blush with a gorgeous golden shimmer running through. For those of you that don’t like to wear shimmer this won’t be for you but I like to use this when I have a tan to give my cheeks a flushed look & add a glow to my cheekbones. Its gorgeous but not subtle!

USA Products

Mac MSF Soft & Gentle this isn’t shimmery but adds a flattering sheen to the skin, its beautiful when the light hits & makes you look like you have had the best Summer Holiday! This is also baked and very finely milled, it never looks powdery or too over done just beautiful on the skin. The Me Me Me Shimmer Stack in Bronze is another gorgeous bronzer & I often use this as eyeshadow too as you get 5 gorgeous shades. This adds a golden bronzed glow to the skin & looks sun kissed and healthy. I like that you can achieve a subtle glow by using the lighter colours or if you prefer to for a little more colour the darker colours add a deeper wash of colour. Very versatile. The packaging is a little bulky but you do get a decent sized mirror which is a big plus.

Me Me Me Makeup

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick  in Golden Pink – this cream eyeshadow is great for those days you don’t want to wear much makeup but want to enhance your tan & make your eyes look bright and pretty. I sweep this all over my lids and just blend out with my finger, its as easy as that. This has great colour pay off, blends really well and has a metallic looking finish . You can add as much or as little colour as you like. Its easy for on the go & lasts all day long, even in the heat it won’t end up sliding off your face!

Golden Pink

When it comes to Summer lips I like to wear something subtle and nourishing. My lips tend to really dry out in the sun but I have found the No7 BB-Lips add a subtle wash of colour & sheen to the lips whilst keeping them hydrated. This contains Anti- Oxidants and SPF15 help to prevent UV damage by protecting the lips from the environment and sun. A great lip product to throw in your beach bag.

Let me know what your top Summer Skin products are, I’d love to know if you use any of my favourites.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own. 

5 Favourites For May

- Vicki 9 Comments

Favourite Skincare

REN Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser* £16.00 for 150ml

I just really like how gentle this is and how soft it leaves my skin. Its the perfect cleanser for sensitive skin as it calms and soothes. My complexion is looking bright and blemish free and I’m putting it down to this as it decongests the skin & helps remove impurities. I reviewed this in full last week.

Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser £20.00 for 125ml

On those days where I feel like I need to double cleanse this is a great second cleanser option. It is a gentle exfoliating cleanser which leaves your skin feeling ultra clean and glowing. It is great at combating a dull complexion & removing the dead skin cells to reveal your glowing complexion. This cleanser contains; Orange extract softens, refreshes and revives. Moringa Seed extract purifies and refines while preserving your skin’s natural moisture level. Gentle Silica Microbeads tackle clogged pores. I think this is the perfect summer cleanser – especially as I like to have as fresh looking skin as possible during the warmer months so I can wear less makeup & let my skin breath. It smells lovely & summery too, always a bonus.

Origins Super Spot Remover £14.00 for 10ml

This is a little (I mean little) bottle of miracle gel. When you feel a blemish rearing its ugly red head I put a dollop of this right on it & it calms it, dries it out & stops it becoming huge & unruly. I find the earlier you can get this on that spot the better. It just takes the inflammation right out of it. I thought I’d go through this bottle in a matter of weeks but it has lasted me months & I’m still no where near finishing it. Its a handy little pot to take out & about with you if you have a particularly stubborn spot which want to keep re applying this to. I think everyone needs a bottle of this in their skincare arsenal.

MONU Collagen Cream £22.50 for 50ml

This is quite a thick moisturiser so I save it for those days when my skin is feeling dehydrated & when it looks like it needs some extra plumping. I don’t like to wear this under makeup as I find it a little too greasy & heavy. So for those days I’m going base free or just hanging about the house I put this on & it makes my skin feel smooth. This cream over time helps reduce the appearance of fine line & I always need help on that front. So if you need a moisturiser for dry skin this is a great one and it feels like it gives your skin a really intensive boost of hydration.

Organic Surge Sweet Blossom Body Cream £6.99 for 150ml

This has been helping my dry legs get a little more summer ready, the Shea & Cocoa Butter help keep my skin feel soft and hydrated. Its quite a thick body butter but it does sink in to the skin quickly leaving my skin soft all day & night. The scent of sweet orange & cedar-wood give this a luxurious feel and I’m really enjoying using it. I love body butters on my legs, especially after shaving as it just gives them that extra moisture boost & leaves my skin looking smooth.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments what you have been loving.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

New From Merumaya

- Vicki 5 Comments

Merumaya

June see’s two exciting new launches from British Skincare brand Merumaya. I’m a big fan of their Melting Cleansing Balm, Face Wash & their Iconic Youth Serum so was very very excited to get these pre launch samples in the post. Merumaya asked their customers what they felt was missing from their range and what they would like to see added to their line & the answers were a Bi Phase Eye Makeup Remover & a Treatment Toner – so that is exactly what Merumaya delivered. These products have been over 2 years in the making & will be launching June 30th.

Bi Phase Plus Eye Makeup Remover*

Merumaya’s research told them that their customers preferred a Bi Phase liquid to remove their eye makeup, I have tried a few in the past and many of them left my eye area quite greasy but this one has been in development for over 2 years in order to get the formula just right & I think they have done a wonderful job. I applied the liquid to a cotton pad and held it gently on my eye for about 1 minute just to let it soak in. Then with such minimal effort I swept it across my eye & my mascara & liquid eyeliner and it removed them both effortlessly. I was so excited to try this product when it arrived that I put it to the test & took my makeup off straight away.

If you’re worried about this being greasy, don’t be it is hydrating and gentle and won’t leave your eyes feeling oily at all. No need to rub vigorously, this gentle formula will remove your eye makeup just by letting it gently soak in & then lightly sweeping the cotton pad accros your eyes. It will leave the area feeling soft & hydrated. This product is suitable for sensitive skin & works on my waterproof mascara without leaving it smeared all over my eyes. It removes every trace of eye makeup & I even put it to the test on some stubborn lip stains & they posed no challenge either! I may have found my go to makeup remover! I think this is going to be a very popular product in Merumaya’s range.

Launched June 30th 2014 into select John Lewis Stores – online at www.merumaya.com & www.johnlewis.com £14.50 for 130ml

Treatment Lotion*

I have been getting in to using a toner over this past year and was excited to put this new Merumaya offering to the test. This has that fresh distinctive Merumaya scent. It is packed full of skincare benefits such as,

Hyluronic Acid to give hydration and plumping and help reduce the appearance of lines (this is an ingredient I look out for now in skincare).

A complex of brown & green algae provides a slow and lasting release of Natural Moisturising Factors these help deliver long term moisturisation and softening.

Ascorbyl Glucoside provides a potent slow and sustained release of Vitamin C that only activates on contact with your skin. This evens out skintone, aids the minimising of pigmentation & gives prolonged antioxidant protection.

Natural Betaine to help manage moisture balance and softens and soothes skin.

This toner really focuses on boosting hydration and keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful. It isn’t drying at all on the skin, so no tight feeling after use. It left my skin feeling very smooth, clean and hydrated. Merumaya have developed a Toner that not only gives you instant results in terms of smooth bright looking skin but there are also longer term benefits that come with prolonged use such as minimising pigmentation & giving you plumper skin.This product has slipped itself nicely into my skincare routine & I don’t go a day now without using a toner it just feels like I’ve missed an important step if I do. This is another great addition to the Merumays range & one I would highly recommend, especially if you have dehydrated, tired looking skin.

Launched June 30th 2014 into select John Lewis Stores – online at www.merumaya.com & www.johnlewis.com £14.50 for 130ml

Out of the two products my favourite is the Bi Phase Eye Makeup Remover, simply because it takes the hassle out of removing waterproof mascara! Let me know if you like using a Bi Phase remover & if you have any Merumaya recommendations.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser

- Vicki 8 Comments
REN Hot Cloth Cleanser

I think we are all familiar with the Hot Cloth Cleanser by now, massage on to dry skin & wipe away using a damp warm face cloth. They’ve become very popular in the beauty world and I for one really like using a Hot Cloth Cleanser in the evening, I find them to be relaxing and a great way to remove makeup and wipe away all the grime & dirt from the day. So I was excited to use the REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser* which comes with a lovely 100% Cotton face cloth (perfect).

This Hot Cloth Cleanser is a rich two-phase cleanser that purifies, decongests gently exfoliates and removes all make-up. It leaves skin refreshed, radiant, smoothed and replenished without dryness or tightness. The cleanser itself is very creamy and light in texture, I massage it into my skin for a couple of minutes so it can start to break down my makeup and the dead skin cells. I also make sure to take it all across my eyes to loosen my eye makeup. This doesn’t irritate my eyes at all, in fact, this is a very gentle cleanser so don’t be afraid to use it all over your face. It’s gentle enough to be used on all skin types, this has a very mild rose scent but it’s so subtle you hardly know it’s there. 

HC Cleanser

This does a really good job at removing my makeup and leaving my skin feeling clean and smooth, it’s not stripping so you won’t experience that tight drying feeling (that I hate). I had never heard of Vitamin P but this cleanser contains it & a few more nourishing ingredients that help revive, soothe and decongest your skin. Let me know if you’ve heard of Vitamin P. The main bio extracts in this cleanser are

  • Vitamin P from Rosa Centifolia protects the capillary venous system to decongest and soothe
  • Triglycerides from Cocoa Seed Butter improve the skin barrier functions against moisture loss
  • Rosa Damascena from Damask Rose Petals relieves and soothes skin

Since using this my complexion has been looking bright and the redness around my cheeks is reduced, I think because this has such a hydrating and soothing milky texture my skin isn’t getting dried out or irritated, you don’t need to be abrasive when washing it off. Just polish away the product using the cotton face cloth and then splash a little cold water on your face once it’s clean to close your pores.

The packaging of this is really handy too, it comes with a pump which is great for dispensing just the right amount of product (also very hygienic), you can also see how much product you have left as you’re able to see the cleanser through the clear packaging. So no panic when you come to use it & there is none left, you will get plenty of warning. If you like using a Hot Cloth Cleanser then I think you should give this one a go, you will be left with a healthy complexion and skin that’s clean, hydrated and decongested. It gets two thumbs up from me.

This contains no parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic colours or scents.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser £16 for 150ml

REN Skincare

I have also been testing out a few samples of the REN V-Cense Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial*, as I only have a couple of sachets to test out I can’t tell you how this performs long term but I had enough for three uses & I’m already excited for this to go on sale so I can get the full size.

The way this works is you apply the light green coloured gel to your face & neck then massage a small amount of warm water to activate the Vitamin C and let it get to work brightening your complexion. You leave the product on your skin for 1 minute then you rinse with warm water and that’s when the tiny exfoliating beads get to work by buffing and removing dead skin and help fight the signs of fatigue, boost skins radiance levels and reduce imperfections.

REN say – ‘Discover a high-performance complexion boost that lasts 72 hours with the V-Cense Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial! A transformative gel-rinse that instantly revitalises and visibly rejuvenates the skin. Formulated with water activated Vitamin C, it neutralises ‘urban grey’ in a flash, removes blackheads and dead skin cells to reveal a firm, toned and smooth complexion.’ 

It’s like a facial and a face mask in one and it only takes you one minute – perfect if you’re pushed for time. This has a lovely quite sweet chocolate orange scent with a hint of peppermint (how yummy does that sound). I have used the sachets I was given to try and I loved how instantly smooth and bright my skin looked & that’s after 1 minute. So I imagine after a more long-term use your complexion will look less dull and start to have that healthy glow we all long for. I liked using this in the morning so my skin looked healthy and fresh for the day ahead.

REN Skincare

I think this is going to be a popular addition to the REN range, I mean who doesn’t want quick, no fuss skincare that gives results in just one minute. This V-Cense 1 minute facial isn’t released until later this year, so this is a heads up, I will be treating myself to a bottle & getting onboard with the 1-minute facial.  I don’t know the exact release date of this but it will be £30 for 75ml.

Let me know what your favourite REN product is & if you like the sound of a 1-minute facial.

Products that are marked with a * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However, if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.