Murad

February 2014 Empties

- Vicki 12 Comments

Feb Empties

& Other Stories Fig Friction Body Lotion – I am a big Fig fan, I adore the scent and this body lotion was so nice to use. The pump made it easy to get out and it was a rich formula that left my skin soft and smelling so good. I will be buying another one when I’m in London

N07 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser – I already have another one on the go, this is a wonderful cleanser and it works well for my combination skin. It removes my makeup with ease and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft. This 200ml tube lasts me over 2 months. These are a bargain if you have one of the infamous No7 vouchers. That’s when I stock up.

Kiehl’s Centella Skin Calming Facial Cleanser – I use this when I have blemishes or if my skin is feeling sensitive. I suffer from redness on my cheeks and this helps to calm my skin. It lasted me for 8 months and that was using it at least twice a week. It is a great gentle cleanser.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Makeup Remover – I was expecting this to be wonderful and I wasn’t that bowled over by it. I went through the bottle very quickly and think there’re better eye makeup removers out there.

Nicara Luxury Hand Wash* – This was a very hydrating hand wash, if you suffer from dry or sensitive hands then I highly recommend this. It comes in a glass bottle which feels quite luxurious although frightens me a little with it being handled whilst my hands are wet. I did like the product and would use it again.

Feb Empties

Bath & Body Works Vanilla Cupcake Hand Sanitizer – I just love these, they’re really fun & sweet to have in your handbag and they smell incredible. I have quite a few backups.

Murad Essential C Cleanser – This cleanser has a gel like consistency and I enjoyed using it in the morning as it left my skin looking bright & plump. Its great at keeping skin healthy and looking its best. I will be buying the full size. This was in a Murad set I bought from TK Maxx

Murad Clarifying Cleanser – This is another Murad Cleanser I really like. This isn’t for everyday use, more of a treatment. I use it once a week to help control my excess oil and keep my blemishes at bay. Its good at helping reduce the scars left by old blemishes.

Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm* – This is a HG cleanser. If you read my blog on a regular basis then you know how much I rave about this cleanser. All I have to say is this costs only £14.50 and you will love it. Its gentle but effective at removing makeup, it leaves no greasy residue and it will keep your skin looking bright and glowing. You must try it. I have already repurchased this & will never be without it.

NEOM Moroccan Blush Rose Organic Hand Cream – This is a lovely floral scented hand cream that is perfect for Spring. It will keep your hands moisturised and the scent it quite grown up. Perfect for your handbag

I’m hoping to move house soon, so I’m trying my best to use up products before opening new ones. I am starting to make progress at reducing the copious amount of products I have on the go.

Combating Blemishes

- Vicki 10 Comments

I suffer from the odd blemish and like everyone I try to stop them appearing and getting too red and angry. So I have a few products which help me keep my skin clean and keep the blemishes at bay.

Skincare Routine

Skincare Routine

Pixi Glow Tonic

Pixi Glow Tonic

This is a great chemical exfoliator with Glycolic Acid, which helps keep the skin very clean and reduces the dark marks left by old blemishes. This product breaks down and removes the dead skin to keep your skin looking bright and radiant. It is alcohol free which means it doesn’t dry your skin out. I use this everyday in the morning and love it.

Origins Clear Improvement Mask

This is a charcoal mask is also great if you have oily skin. It is really good at cleaning out your pores & removing any bacteria build up. It dries quite tight on your skin but doesn’t dry it out. My skin gets a little congested around my chin and find this mask is good to help clear that up. It’s a good mask to use once a week to give your skin a deep clean and draw out all the impurities.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

This is good for Oily & Blemish prone skin as the oil helps calm skin, tighten pores and locks in moisture. I find this oil very calming on my skin and it keeps my hormonal breakouts to a minimum, my blemishes tend not to be as sore. I use this oil at least 3 times a week at night and two drops are all I need. I massage the oil all over my face and find it takes about 5 minutes to absorb into my skin. Since using this my skin is more radiant and my old blemish scars are reduced. I love the scent of this too its botanical and really relaxing.

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

This helps my skin go back to basics, it gives my face a really clean feel with out drying it out. It is a gel cleanser which gives your skin a very deep clean. It removes dead skin and bacteria build up and unclogs your pores. It smells a little medicated but I still find it gentle enough on my skin. I like to use this if I’ve been wearing my makeup up for a long time. This cleanser also has  salicylic acid in and so helps to reduce blemishes. This is well worth adding to your routine if you suffer from breakouts.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer*

This is aimed at people whose skin is experiencing the signs of stress (I know mine is). It is also geared towards skin that’s showing signs of fatigue and that is becoming dull. This is my skin in a nutshell, I’m stressed and that makes my skin stressed and I get more breakouts.

This moisturiser works well to calm redness and improve uneven skin tone, I find using this helps keep my skin look fresh and gives it a good boost of hydration too. This contains Rosa Gallica which helps calm inflammation and also Chamomile which is very gentle and soothing.  This Skin Rescuer can be used day or night which is good and I really think its helping reduce my redness and keep my skin looking more radiant.

Bath & Body Works Island Nectar Pocket Bac

Before I put any skincare or make up on my face I always use a hand sanitiser as I hate the thought of transferring any dirt or bacteria on to my skin, which can lead to breakouts. So this is a step I never miss, it is so important to keep our hands clean. It is a simple step but one so many people forget. I find these B&BW ones smell amazing and are a little more enjoyable to use.

So these are a few of the products I use to keep my skin clean and reduce the amount of breakouts I get. Are there any products you rely on to keep your skin blemish free?

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.

Favourite Products of December 2012

- Vicki 6 Comments

We’re already a week into January 2013 but I still wanted to let you know what I had been loving in December 2012. I had a low-key December and I think my products reflect that. So before I start rambling I will get right into it.

December 2012 Favourites

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer – I use this to cover really unsightly blemishes and ones that are super red. I find this quite heavy and so only use it when nothing else will work and this stuff doesn’t budge. Covergirl lashblast 24hr Waterproof Mascara – this is a great mascara for giving quite dramatic lashes especially if you’ve really curled your eyelashes. It’s so black i love my mascara to be uber black and again it doesn’t budge.

Vivo Colour Block Palette in Unprotected. This is a palette I reach for over and over again. The colours are all lovely and I am a neutral eyeshadow girl so this has  everything I need. It’s also the palette I take away on holiday without fail. I’ve done a more in depth post on this palette with swatches – here if you want to have a read. Chanel Eyeshadow in Safari 45 – this is the prettiest taupe with a hint of shimmer. It’s so soft and blends like a dream.

MUA Pink Shimmer Kisses Blusher – This has been in my makeup bag since I bought it a couple of months ago. I have worn it so much. You can make it a light wash of colour or go for a more intense colour. It’s so versatile. MUA have done it again. Top marks for this. I’ve done a blog post about this here. YSL Perfect Touch Radiance Foundation – I have used this foundation for about 3 years now and it is my old faithful. It give a really beautiful coverage which I would say was medium and it gets better throughout the day. It settles down to look flawless and gives your skin a really healthy glow. I will always have a tube of this. It makes my skin look younger and so healthy.

December Favourites 2012

Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser –  spf 20 in the shade nude. This is a really lovely lightweight tinted moisturiser. It feels so nice on the skin, it’s quite a sheer coverage but that’s perfect for days when you’re not wanting to apply a full face of makeup. It really has some staying power too. It applies smoothly on the face and gives you such a fresh-faced look and I love it. Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll-on Medium – This is great to add a little flash of colour under the eye and look more awake. It’s not the best coverage and it’s a little watery but I tap it in and it gives you a more awake look. I’ve blogged about this here with swatches.

No7 Lash and Brow Perfector – This just works. It tames my unruly brows. What more could I want? The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm – This smells so festive and has a shimmer to it. So it was perfect for December. It’s not very moisturising but it does give your lips a hint of colour and also shimmer. So very festive.

Murad Exfoliating blemish Treatment Gel – this has really calmed my breakouts and it helps reduce the redness and size of blemishes. I use it morning and night when I have a breakout. Mac Sheer Pressed Powder – I’ve been using this to set my foundation. I have been a little more greasy than normal and I have found a light dusting of this across my forehead and chin makes my foundation stay put.

So they were my December favourites. If you’ve blogged about your December favourites leave me a link in the comments.

 

 

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.