Exfoliator

April 2014 Empties

- Vicki 16 Comments

April 2014 Empties

Mac Fix+ : I bought this from the airport a couple of years ago & went through stages of using it all the time and then i’d forget about it. Not really sure it fixed anything in place, I used it more of a facial spritz, to freshen up my makeup through the day. I didn’t miss it when I wasn’t using it so I wouldn’t say it really has a place in my routine and for the price there are nicer & better facial mists. Have you tried this? If so how did you use it & did you like it?

NUXE Gentle Exfoliating Gel* : This was very rose scented so if thats not your favourite scent then you won’t like this too much. It was a gel cleanser with exfoliating beads in. It was gentle enough to use it a few times a week. I found it hydrating and used to leave it on my skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Just be gentle not to press/rub to hard when rinsing it off. I will be purchasing a new one of these.

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Eye Serum : It is no secret that I LOVE (love love love) Aesop skincare and in particular the Parsley Seed collection. I bought this eye serum early last year and the very nice sales assistant in the Liberty Beauty Hall said it was good if you spend a lot of time on the computer or in a dry office environment (I work from home & am on the computer many hours a day). I used to have this sat on my desk and I’d pat it under my eyes when I felt I needed a hydration boost and it was nice and soothing. Now in terms of benefits, hand on heart I can’t say I noticed many. Yes my under eye area was hydrated and felt nice but I think being a little older I need something more from a serum. I need more targeted benefits so sadly I liked this but won’t repurchase it. For the price I would rather have something else from the Aesop range. This might be more suited to younger skin. Let me know if you have tried this & how you worked it in to your skincare routine.

Bath & Body Works Sugared Vanilla Wish : The scent of this is just too damn good. I went through this bottle far to quickly and now I am sad I didn’t savour every drop. If you like the scent of Vanilla then this is even better as it is so much sweeter and reminds me of freshly baked cupcakes. When I have the chance I will be stocking up on these like a crazy lady. If you have tried any of the B&BW hand sanitisers let me know what scent you recommend.

April Product Empties

Urban Decay Primer Potion : This was a sample with purchase and I hate the packaging of this. There is a ton of product still in there & I can’t get at it with the applicator. Such a pain. I wasn’t a huge fan of this as I have been using an elf one for years and that does a really good job. So I will stick to that one, better value & better packaging too.

Murad Advanced Active Serum : This was in my bargain Murad Kit that I found in TK Maxx, wishing I’d bought all of them now. This Advanced Active Range is so brightening, I noticed such a difference in how healthy my skin looked & when I missed a few days I could tell. My skin felt dull and not as plump. I’m just deciding if I can stretch to the £99.50 price tag.

The Body Shop Pomegranate Firming & Refreshing Eye Roll-On : You know when you start using a product & within a few weeks it is empty & you wonder why you spent your hard earned money on it, well thats exactly how I felt with this eye roll on. I can’t tell you if it was Firming as I only used it for a little over 2 weeks, yes I guess it was refreshing but so is spraying water on your face and thats free. So no I won’t be repurchasing this again. The Dr.Organic Dead Sea Mineral Rescue Ball is 100% better.

So thats it for April, not too many products this month but a few that I am sad are empty and in a dilemma whether to repurchase. Let me know if you have tried anything from my line up & if you’d recommend alternatives or if any of them are holy grail products for you.

Now on to May, lets do this & please be a more relaxed month than April x

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.

Melvita Skincare Additions

- Vicki 6 Comments
melvitaskincare

Melvita Skincare

Melvita Narcissus Extraordinary Water*

This has been a lovely addition to my Winter skincare regime. It is a Toner aimed at brightening your complexion and locking in moisture, this is just what my dehydrated skin needed. It has a lovely blend of Narcissus, Papaya, Lemon and Olive leaf and lemon extract, designed to brighten, cool and sooth your skin.

I just splash a few drops on to a cotton pad (it has a thin/light consistency) I then wipe it all over my face and breath in the scent, it’s lovely and makes my skin feel smooth and is a step I find refreshing.

This also contains Hyaluronic Acid and Organic Glycerin to help lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated. I’ve been using this in the morning as it leaves a nice smooth base to apply my serum and moisturiser. I would say my skin is noticeably brighter since using this, it is looking healthy and stayed hydrated over winter, so that’s a plus.

Melvita Extraordinary Water comes in 3 varieties, each £17 for 100ml and all aimed at a different skin concern:

Rose Melvita Extraordinary Water for Anti-Ageing & Moisturising

Orange Blossom Melvita Extraordinary Water for Soothing & Softening

Narcissus Melvita Extraordinary Water for Skin Radiance

Melvita Exfoliating Cleansing Cream

Melvita Exfoliating Cleansing Cream*

This is a gentle cream exfoliator using Musk Rose Seed Powder and protective prebiotic, it gently eliminates dead skin and keeps skin looking bright. I like to use this once a week in the evening as part of my weekly pamper session. It smells floral and uplifting. It combines Rose Floral Water, Orange Blossom which keeps skin soft and Naracissus Extract which is cleaning and brightening. It is a great way of keeping my skin looking fresh and feeling clean.

It’s a lovely gentle cleanser with brightening properties, and it suits my skin down to the ground. This 50ml tube will last me a while.

Out of the two products I’ve been trying, the Narcissus Melvita Extraordinary Water is my favourite and I really enjoy using it. Have you any product recommendations from Melvita?

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.

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser – Rave

- Vicki 9 Comments

This is quite the miracle in a tube, it’s becoming my favourite exfoliator and I can’t remember where is came from. I’m sure it came in a Beauty Box but I’m not too sure either way I know I paid for it & I’m love using it.

I’ve really sensitive skin especially on my cheeks and so I’m often weary of using an exfoliator as a lot of them are just to harsh for my skin. Now I have found one that works well for me – the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. It’s really good for giving your skin a deep clean without leaving it stripped of its moisture and it’s not too abrasive. I had no irritation after using this and for someone with sensitive skin thats quite something.

It feels like a polish – it’s a very gentle (for an exfoliator) and is great if you suffer from clogged pores and dull skin. It helps wake it up and make it feel lovely and smooth. I look forward to trying a few more products from the Murad range. Have you tried anything from this company. What would you recommend?

I don’t use it more than twice a week just as my skin doesn’t like to be exfoliated too much. I also had to check what AHA & BHA were (bad beauty blogger) & this is what i found,

AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content

BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps

If you’re looking for a new exfoliator that’s gentle on sensitive skin then I cant recommend this enough. It costs £34 for 200ml and that will last you so long.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush

- Vicki

I was all out of body scrub and so asked on people on Twitter for recommendations for a new one, a couple of people said the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush was a good price and worked well. So with Boots skin care being on 3 for 2 I picked up a pot along with a 2 other face creams.

My  first impression of the scrub was: its a big pot and you get a fair amount of product – 300ml for £8.00. I have been using it for 2 weeks – 3 times a week. The scent is very sweet, I do like the way most S&G products smell but this scrub isn’t my favourite smelling product. I think it’s just too sweet. That aside I do like the scrub and think it works well.

It has the right amount of exfoliating beads in for me and the consistency is nourishing and not too abrasive. I use it all ove my body (not face, of course) 3 times a week and have found it leaves my skin really smooth an clears all my dead skin away. I am getting summer body ready – even if the summer seems to have all but disappeared.

Not too much to say on this other than I would recommend this product, it works for me and my skin is softer after using it. This scrub is really good quality and a great price point. What more could you ask for?!