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

Products For Getting That Glow

January 28, 2016April 28, 2018 - Vicki 4 Comments

REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial

This comes out a really vibrant green shade which is cool and odd in equal measure! The product itself is so good and I have been through a few tubes of this over the past 2 years. Its amazing if you are pushed for time and want your skin to look fresh and bright as you only need to leave it on for 1 minute (so fast). You 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.

Soap & Glory Wonderbronze

This is a very pretty bronzing highlighter, it’s a great way of giving your skin that sun-kissed look without having been in the sunshine. I just swirl my brush round all the colours and apply it with my duo fibre brush, using this type of brush I find I don’t pick up too much product on my brush. I am all about a subtle glow. I really like Soap & Glory face powders and I also like the Solar Powder too for days I want an even more low-key look but still a nice subtle glow.

Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Eye Lotion

This is such a lovely part of my morning skincare routine, it’s so soothing and cooling. I keep it in the fridge so its nice and cold, I put a little liquid on each cotton pad then I hold them on my tired eyes for about a minute and it feels amazing. It contains naturally active ingredients including eyebright, witch hazel, aloe vera and cornflower to help tone, cool and refresh tired, puffy eyes. Nothing feels more soothing in the morning & I apply this whilst I’m waiting on the kettle to boil every morning. Does that count as multi tasking?!

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Bountiful Beige

This is quite a new discovery for me but I like how bright and pretty this cream shadow is. It’s a champagne colour and helps make your eyes look bright and awake. It’s a really nice everyday colour and I have been wearing it alone all over the lid. These apply really smoothly and are easy to blend, they contain vitamin E for soothing and smoothing the delicate eye area. So it’s an eyeshadow with a little extra skincare benefit too.

Elemental Herbology Facial Glow Radiance Peel

This mask came in a beauty box a while ago and I rediscovered it when I moved house last year and Its become my go to mask this Winter. The Facial Glow peel contains natural actives derived from apples, papayas, and orange peels to gently exfoliate dead skin cells; there’s also Kombuchka and Lumiskin to help refine the skin and boost radiance. It’s a great product for getting rid of dead skin leaving your face looking bright and glowing. I only have a small travel size but I will be purchasing the larger tub because I can’t be without this in my routine.

Apply peel to clean, damp skin from neck to forehead. Do not scrub.
Leave for 4 minutes.
Remove with a face cloth soaked in warm water.

Estée Lauder Even Skintone Illuminator

I have been mixing this with my foundation to give my skin that extra radiance. It’s not glittery or shimmery it just reflects the light and adds a luminous glow to your skin & mixed in with my foundation it looks natural and really healthy. Its oil free so it’s not going to make your skin look greasy its a really great product for brightening tried looking skin and I have been using it daily over the Winter months.

What are your favourite products for achieving that fresh-faced glow?

The Body Shop Vitamin C Range

July 5, 2015January 18, 2018 - Vicki 6 Comments

Over the years (many years) I have used almost all of the skincare ranges from The Body Shop but the Vitamin C Range for some reason I hadn’t ever tried and I am kicking myself for not giving it a go sooner. The Vitamin C range is formulated to give your skin a boost of hydration giving it a gorgeous energising glow. I have been putting it to the test over the past 2 months and I’m absolutely smitten with the range. Earlier this year The Body Shop added two new products to this range, the first being

Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser* £16.00

This is such a lightweight water based moisturiser – it feels like a gel and I was very surprised at how quickly it absorbed into my skin, it was almost instantly. I like to use this in the morning because it’s a great way to give your tired skin a boost of hydration making it look and feel plumped and the Vitamin C helps your skin look glowing, making you look healthy and more awake. The zesty citrus scent helps energise you too, it smells so fresh and uplifting!

The packaging feels and looks luxurious, it’s in a weighty orange glass jar with a black lid, its sturdy and really good quality too.

There is no SPF in this which I know a few people are disappointed with but I like to apply a separate SPF every day so it’s not a problem for me but just something to note if you’re looking to use this as your daytime moisturiser. After using it almost daily for 2 months my skin feels smooth and is looking radiant. Its a welcomed addition to my skincare routine.

Being someone that has quite naturally dull skin I welcome any product that promises to give me a natural glow – most of the time the products end up being a little disappointing but The Body Shop seem to have hit the nail on the head with both these new releases. The second new addition to the Vitamin C Range is,

Vitamin C Instant Glow Enhancer* £14.00

I like to use this on top of my moisturiser, it has quite a creamy texture but it’s not heavy or greasy and to my surprise, it has a really flattering peachy tint to it. I apply this mostly to the centre of my face, focusing on my forehead, nose & chin as this is great at blurring pores and fine lines making my skin look smooth as well as giving it a slight peachy glow. You see instant results with this product, it really helps combat the signs of fatigue and is just the perfect base for your makeup.

It has a velvet finish and your makeup seems to glide on. It also helps keep my foundation in place and looking its best all day/night. There is no shimmer in this which I really like, it gives your skin more of a natural glow, the colour adjusts to your skin tone (like magic) evening out your skin tone and I love the blurring effect it gives the skin. I really like the tube packaging & the fact its bright orange and will be so handy to travel with or throw in your handbag for giving your skin a pick me up throughout the day. I also think its a great moisturiser too if you have oily skin, it adds another good layer of hydration to your skin which for me is always a good thing.

So this is a bit of a multi-tasker – a primer, lightweight moisturiser and tinted cream all in one. I really recommend trying this! Oh, & it also has the same zesty orange scent – smells good enough to eat.

Vitamin C Energising Face Mist* £10.00

This isn’t new but its new to me, I love using face mists and always have one on my desk but if I remember I do like to keep a couple in the fridge that makes them so refreshing and cooling especially in this crazy heat.

This face mist is an instant pick me up, it smells like oranges and it instantly cools the skin. Like the other products in this range it contains Camu Camu which is rich in vitamin C and aloe vera, so its hydrating, calming and helps boost the skin’s radiance. Its so nice on a warm day & you can spray on top of your makeup throughout the day to keep skin feeling fresh and hydrated.

I feel like The Body Shop has really stepped up their game over the past 18 months & are releasing some really great products. Let me know what products you have recently discovered from The Body Shop.

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.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

May 26, 2015April 20, 2025 - Vicki 4 Comments

The Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF30* is a new release from bare Minerals & is a great addition to their range. This lightweight base is perfect for a natural radiant coverage, and is described as a ‘freckle friendly multitasker, enabling skin to appear even toned and more awake’ It really is a multitasker, not only does it provide a gorgeous lightweight coverage, but it also has a cocktail of skincare benefits too,

Olive derived squalane – nourishing, hydrating and boosts the skins’ ability to regenerate

Marine botanicals – help refuel thirsty skin and enhance skin’s appearance

Water loving humectants, Tehalsose and glycerine-which locks in moisture

Heart leaf globe daisy – an antioxidant, defends the skin from environmental aggressors

Calcium and Magnesium – help replenish the skin and promote the skins’ moisture balance

SPF30 PA+++ this also contains a broad spectrum SPF to protect the skin against UVA & UVB rays

I would say this gave me a good light to medium coverage, it isn’t shear, and you could build it up if you wanted too. Even though it’s recommended to blend this in using your fingers, I like to use a brush & think that really gave me an even coverage.

This does give a beautiful dewy finish to the skin, so I think it is the perfect Summer base as it feels incredibly lightweight on the skin & the SPF30 means your skin’s protected. I have to say I have been quite impressed with the formula, coverage and the wear time of this, it seems to tick all the boxes.

When I wear it my skin looks radiant and that radiance lasts all day, I get about 7–8 hours wear from this. My skin looks plump and more awake & I think it’s because it has so many great hydrating ingredients, it also means this base sits really well on the skin and doesn’t sink into fine lines & pores but helps smooth them out. Being prone to an oily t zone I do like to powder lightly in that area, to ensure it stays in place without looking greasy, and it wears all day without oxidising or going patchy. This has quickly become a favourite of mine & I have even recommended it to friends & family of all ages.

The light was a little better for the after shots, but I think you get the gist, you can still my freckles and natural complexion showing through, but the Complexion Rescue does give a pretty natural dewy coverage to the skin. It doesn’t look heavy, it’s a great daytime base and I think it’s going to be a popular choice for the warmer months.

So if you’re on the lookout for a base that will help your skin look radiant and dewy whilst giving you an even coverage, then this bare Minerals Complexion Rescue needs to be added to your shopping list.

Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF30

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.

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