Skincare Spotlight: Liz Earle, Melvita, & La Roche-Posay

I tend to swap things up in my skincare routine just to keep things fresh. This trio has moved its way to the front of class starting with the Melvita Eau Extraordinaire Rose Water*, which I use after toning but before applying a serum/moisturiser. This can be used underneath your makeup and gives you that slightly tightened feeling whilst cooling and refreshing your skin. I love using this to prep my skin in the mornings, it aims to rejuvenate the skin and I can't get enough of the subtle floral notes this gives off. 

Next up, meet Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser*, my second stab at the Liz Earle skincare line and let me tell you I'm impressed. I thought my Origins Gin Zing Moisturiser paired with their Drink Up Mask was the holy grail of hydration, but this might give that combo a run for it's money. I tend use this solely in the evenings as it's slightly too rich for morning use before applying makeup - that's where Origins GinZing comes in (review here). Formulated for dry and sensitive skin, my two skin issues in one tube, this is perfect for me. The blend of avocado oil and echinacea smells heavenly and leaves my skin feel soft and supple. This literally melts into my skin without leaving a greasy film or residue that I have found with some moisturisers. I wake up with skin as soft as a baby's bum, and we all know that's soft.

Skincare bolt on of the week has to go to La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast Baum B5*. For the past few months I've had a unsightly breakout of eczema on my thumb and behind my knees, not comfortable when you're itching 24/7. I've tried eczema creams only to find temporary relief without actually healing the dry patches, however this cream has really helped. Cicaplast isn't just for eczema sufferers but makes a great addition to any of you that have bouts of dry skin. It's a really great multi-purpose product, which can be used on your lips, face or any dry patches on your body. Couldn't recommend this enough.

What's are at the top of your skincare stash at the minute?

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Vichy Idealia Pro Deep Corrector

Vichy Idealia Pro Deep Corrector Serum £29.00* (this link has the product at £24.65)

Skincare is becoming more and more important to me and taking precedent over my compulsive cosmetics habit. Although the price tag of some of the more sought after serums, creams, and oils can hit our bank balance hard, I do feel that investing in a good skincare regime that, most importantly, suits you is well worth it. 

I suffer from old acne scars that have left unattractive dark spots around my chin area so when the lovely Steph offered me the chance to test out Vichy Idealia Pro Deep Dark Spot Corrector I did a little 'squee!' at my desk, and replied straight away. 

Targeted at those with dark spots and an uneven skin tone, the serums gets to work on both the dermis and epidermis level, fancy schmancy words for different layers of the skin, and target the source of the darker and more problematic pigmentation spots. Que the science behind the beauty - the LHA's aim to reduce the dark spots whilst the DRM-Bright Complex aid in their prevention. Confused? So am I, but trust me, it works and that's really all that matters.

I've been using this product on and off for two months or so and have really noticed a difference in the blotchiness and darker pigmentation of my skin. As I have sensitive skin I was primarily worried that using this serum would cause a flare up, or irritation, however, it's soaked up lovingly my skin and glides on smoothly and softly. I love that it comes with a pump which squeezes out just the right amount of product, for me. 

At £29.00 it does seem quite pricey, I must admit. But, let me tell you, the effects speak wonders and I only use this nightly after toning and before moisturising and I still have 3/4 of the product left after two months. I'd really recommend this product to anyone suffering with pigmentation problems.

Have you tried anything from the Vichy Range? Will you be trying out Idealia Pro?

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Lush: Sex Bomb Ballistic

Lush Bath Bomb in Sex Bomb £3.20

Named after the King of Swagger, Mr Tom Jones, top hit Sex Bom is one of the most popular bath bombs so I just had to try it for myself. I am a huge advocate of Lush, I love their policy on no animal testing and the majority of their products are suitable for my sensitive skin as well as adding a splash of colour to an evening bath.

Jam packed with sensual oils such as clary sage, jasmine and ylang ylang, your skin is in for a treat as well as the bicarbonate in this bath time treat aiding the longevity of the aphrodisiac oils on your skin helping you to smell gorgeous for hours at a time. Yes, that's right, you also heard aphrodisiac pop up there, this bath bomb is one for the lover in all of us and might explain its popularity...ahem.

I loved dunking this into my bath and watching an explosion of bright pink and fuchsia taking over ready for me to dip into, my skin was left feeling silky smooth and the jasmine added a subtle but nonetheless gorgeous aroma. The rose petals once detached from the evaporating bath bomb did, however, become a slight annoyance, they were not real rose petals I don't think but instead became a kind of slimy nuisance. There was only three or four of them so this was easily overlooked but do let me know if you have had a similar or different experience of this!

All in all another winner for Lush, I think it's mainly the novelty of attractive ballistics and bright colours to bring our tub to life that draws me in time and time again. But I must add that my skin has always felt smoother and more nourished after use and never have I yet experienced any rashes or complaints which is a great thing to say as the owner of very sensitive skin.

What are your favourite Lush treats?

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belated 500 followers giveaway

Okay, so I'm nearing my 600 GFC followers rather than 500 which is when this give-away was promised  but I've been sorting out lot's of university bit's and pieces and kept putting it off till now, so this give-away is to celebrate not only reaching 500 GFC followers but to each and every one of you and for reaching 50,000+ page views. Literally was astonished when I saw that figure pop up on my screen, so here's to me raising an imaginary glass to toast to you all for being such great supporters, especially those whose faces regularly pop up in the comments, it is noted and you really do make my day.

Anyway on to the exciting part, THE GIVE AWAY PRIZE! I've recently fallen head over heels with REN Skincare products and skin care is really sweeping the floor in the beauty world at the moment too. I know plenty of my readers love morrocan hair oils and I thought you'd hopefully love to win a trio gift set of body oils and creams. Currently this Trio Gift Set is out of stock on the REN website so here's a great chance to snap one up!

I know that the Body Wash was picked as In Style's Best Body Wash for the tenth year in a row and whilst researching these products I've heard nothing but the best of things about each and every one of these products and am tempted to snap up another gift set for £17 when they do come back into stock!

Yet again this give-away is international, and I wish the best of luck to you all!

p.s. you MUST be following by GFC, I will be checking ;)



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Herbal Aloe Outer Nutrition Range

Many of you will know that recently I've been on the hunt for products that support natural ingredients, free from harmful parabens and sulphates and adopting more gentle botanical solutions. The new Herbal Aloe Outer Nutrition Range is brimming with essential vitamins and minerals and so the question is, can you really feel the difference on your skin?

May I add that all of these products smell SO scrummy, a brew of honeydew, lilies, and a hint of lemon blossom combined with the soothing powers of Chamomile (dreamy scent!) and African Shea Butter, is welcomed by both your sense of smell and sense of touch.

Hand & Body Wash* £9.25 - Part of the Refresh and Revive stages on their line-up, this duo wash aims to gently cleanse and hydrate your skin in order to lock in moisture for a healthier glow.  Being an advocate for the sensitive skin brigade a gentle but effective body wash is a great find for me and although I would prefer if it lathered up a little more I really loved this product. It glided on to my skin with no irritation whatsoever, my skin felt immensely clean and refreshed and the calming chamomile scent lingered on my skin.

Everyday Hand & Body Lotion* £8.63 (very precise amount?!) - This is meant to follow the Hand & Body Wash after your shower or bath. This was possibly my favourite from the range, the lotion was light and creamy, without being too watery, and my skin lapped it up and thanked me for it. Locking in the moisture perfectly and leaving my skin with the desired silky, smooth, and supple effect which was even noticed by my boyfriend who then cheekily borrowed some for himself!

Soothing Gel* £8.63 - Second product (after the hand & body lotion) in the Hydrate & Nourish stage of the line-up. I would say that you wouldn't need to buy both products as they both act as ultra-nourishing moisturisers. The difference being is that this product takes on a gel formula which yet again is light to touch and blends into your skin easy-peasy. This is the only product that doesn't have much of a scent as it is fragrance free and possibly suited to those with very sensitive skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves your skin tingling with a cool sensation which I really like as it makes me feel as if the product is really working and this product hydrates and soothes even my most stubborn dry skin. I think this would be great for sun burnt skin as it is really gentle.

I really did like this range, the packaging being very simplistic and easily disperses a good amount of product.  It's not something I think I would be drawn to especially in a shop but for those of you who are looking for ingredient friendly and natural products, or just have particularly sensitive skin, these are safe bet.

To check out more products from the Herbal Aloe Range click here, I particularly fancy trying the Strengthening Shampoo & Condtioner which have been proven to improve hair breakage and if it follows suit with the products I've tested should moisturise and nourish my lock to silky softness, a must!

Are you particularly bothered about the ingredients in your skin care products?

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midweek wishlist

01. Sky Blue Sleevless Top with Gold Tip Collar - Glamourous - 02. Merrily Open Lace Up Shoes - Topshop - 03. Origins Super Spot Remover - 04. Origins GinZing Eye Cream -  05. REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - 06. Topshop Lipstick in Whimsical

Make-up has been put on the back burner recently, having collected quite a vast array of cosmetic delights recently, I just don't feel like I need to buy much more whilst I already have a fair amount that I could put to good use. Therefore, I've recently got into skincare a lot more than my former naive self who protested 'I'm young so why would I need eye creams and renewal masks yet?!' but now is the time I have realised to take a bit more care and let these act as preventatives rather than miracle cures. 

Both Origins and REN Skincare have been countlessly advised to me and so I took the plunge recently and purchased a few REN facial skin care items which I will review in due course. The Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask did catch my eye and I have read a great review on it by Caroline which added my eagerness to test it out, however, at a handsome sum of £30 I chose to test this product out via 1/2 samples, that I was offered when purchasing the Invisible Pores Detox Mask, before committing to the hefty price tag. I've heard nothing but wonderful things so I'm hoping that it'll improve my blemish prone skin and brighten it up!
Not only have I been suffering from spots lately but dark circles and puffiness has taken over my eye area with a vengeance and that's why I'm hoping to purchase the much raved about GinZing Eyecream, student loan hurry up, please.

I spotted this cheep and cheerful top from Glamourous whilst fuelling my obsession to torture myself by online shopping when I have no money to spend, well done, Lauren, well done. Yet again I was caught admiring the Topshop make-up range of which I am yet to really test out for myself, oh if I was rich..

What have you been lusting after lately?

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Purely Natural Skin Acne Cleanser

Purely Natural Skin Acne Cleanser* - £7.95

This is the second product from the Purely Natural Range that I've been very kindly sent to review, first being their Healing Moisturiser. I chose this product from their collection to test out as not only is it their best seller but acne is something that has plagued my skin on and off for many years now. Like my skin type, this issue is a very sensitive one for me and I've often dallied with the idea of posting my bouts of strugglesome spots. Luckily my acne has always been quite mild in comparison to some of the more ferocious and unforgiving cases but every girl and even every boy I believe will attest that it is something that makes you highly insecure about your appearance and gets your spirits down on many a occasion.

I like Purely Natural Products because that's what they are, purely natural ingredients so the abrasive and harsh chemicals of other products I've tried (and failed with) are thrown out of the mix. Upon first opening up the product I was a little taken back by the consistency, it reminds me very much so of Cookie Dough or an Oat-y dough mixture, it even has a slight cake like smell. Therefore I was a little daunted about how to use it, I'm used to liquid or gel cleansers and so the paste like content of this acne cleanser does take a little work.

I tear off small chunks and warm under water, rubbing between my finger tips to create a finer paste like substance, which, with my muslin cloth, I then rub into my skin using circular motions every morning and night whilst my skin is clean. It doesn't agitate my blemishes, nor does any redness appear which is always a good sign for me, I'm prone to redness and so sighed a sigh of relief. The substance whilst swirled around my facial and neck area became much smoother and even slightly milky leaving my skin feeling softer and clean after every use.

So, has it banished my spots into the abyss? No, not just yet, as I'm having a particularly bad few months skin wise. However, after using this product for just two and a half weeks I have noticed major changes, my skin is calmer, softer and blemishes do tend to shrink in size and do not blare out in redness anymore giving me a huge confidence boost. I think if I continue to use this my skin will only go from strength to strength!

p.s. would you all be interested in a post about my skincare and troubles with acne relief? Have any of you suffered from acne and could recommend any products?

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steam cream

steam cream* £12.95

You might be aware that I've recently been on the hunt for brands that support recycling and are full of natural ingredients. I've already reviewed Purely Natural's Healing Moisturiser, which you can find here, and also look out for a review on their acne line, and now I'd thought I'd share with you the wonder that is steam cream.

I've shared a few e-mails back and forth with the lovely Nisha who offered to aid my search by sending me a gorgeous floral adorned tin pot of steam cream. The beautiful designs caught my eye immediately as Steam Cream offer a vast variety of beautifully designed pots so aesthetics wise this gets a double thumbs up, and the fact that it is both eco-friendly and extremely cute makes it an all round winner in that department.

So, is it worthy of its 'Beauty Insiders' Choice' win? I think so. I know some of my fellow beauty enthusiasts and bloggers agree with me such as the ever so gorgeous Jade whose review you can find here.
What is different about Steam Cream is that they use a shot of steam to produce a light emulsion which then in turn sinks in rapidly into your skin for an instant effect and creates the lightweight feel of this moisturiser which I adore. A little really does go a long way in terms of application the product glides on like a dream needing little help and force to work its way into the skin. Combined with use of natural ingredients (find out more here), such as jojoba oil, oatmeal, orange blossom water, and lavender oil, your skin is left feeling refreshed and softer than mine has done in quite a while. 

I've used this pretty much every morning and evening before applying makeup and after cleansing and toning at night. My skin appears to me heaps and bounds better in terms of dryness and all round glow as my skin seems less greyish and dull than before.  The only fault I can find with this product, and this is just a personal preference, is that it has quite a strong lavender scent and I'm not the biggest fan of lavender but that aside I will happily re-purchase this product.

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Look 'Prime Perfect' Primer

Look 'Prime Perfect' Primer* £10

I've only recently got into using a facial primer after I moisturise and before I apply my foundation with my potion of choice being Benefits Porefessional which I adore. However, at a hefty £23 a pop I've been looking elsewhere for cheaper drugstore alternatives so was extremely pleased when I received this from the lovely people at Look Magazine.

At £10 the pricing is somewhat in the middle of the range compared to pricier L'Oreal, Revlon, and GOSH primers and the cheaper alternatives produced by MUA and Collection 2000. I'm not entirely sure if I would have ever picked this primer up whilst browsing around Superdrug as the packaging is very simple and not too much to behold, which in many respects I do like but my eyes would not immediately be drawn in instead preferring brands such as L'Oreal that appear more worth the money, if that makes sense?

Packaging is not the bee all and end all, it is the product and the results it produces that matter most in my opinion. The formula is like a water based jelly, I'd advise you to use a little as it goes a long way, and once applied to the face using circular motions my skin does soak it up like a dream and it's left feeling very even and incredibly soft as soon as the primer has worked its way into the skin.
Upon first applying this product I was slightly adverse to the water based formula worrying that it was slightly oily on my skin as I used far too much product when you really only need the size of a 5p for it to spread evenly across your face. Overall, although I do prefer the thicker paste formula of my Benefit Porefessional which I could not rave on about enough, I have become a little bit attached to the feel of this primer on my skin as it leaves my skin feeling very light and refreshed. 

Look's 'Prime Perfect' Primer does work rather well in terms of prolonging my make-up for the day and leaving my skin soft but I'm not sure whether I would re-purchase this product at £10 for 35ml. I'd like to try a primer that tackles redness in the skin next as that's my main skin complaint and therefore after using this primer, and loving the even layer and softness it creates, I'd like to try Look's Colour Correct Primer next as I think that would be more suited for my skin.

What's your favourite primer?

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Purely Natural Skin Healing Moisturiser

Healing Moisturiser* £9.95

I hadn't heard of Purely Natural until they recently got in touch via twitter and I jumped at the chance to try out their new healing moisturiser as, like all their products, it is made of 100% Natural ingredients! And although their packaging is very simple and not much to behold when compared to some higher end brands, the no fuss packaging doesn't bother me and in fact I applaud companies such as Purely Natural for using recyclable PET packaging.

Now let's get onto what we really want to know, does the product work?

This product is geared towards those of us who have suffered or do suffer from damaged skin in need of a bit of TLC. In my early teens I did go through quite a horrendous and emotionally draining phase where I was very acne prone and my light purple acne scars around my chin area serve as a not so pleasant reminder of those days. I've searched and searched for products aimed to help reduce scarring with some hits and many misses along the way and so after using this healing moisturiser I hope to try out their healing scars scrub and acne cleanser.
 I have noticed a reduction in the appearance of my acne scarring and a clearly visible 'good riddance' to dry skin just by applying a small amount of this product and after just a few applications my skin feels smoother, more hydrated and I feel like it's added an extra luminosity to my otherwise quite dull skin. 

In terms of its contents it contains beeswax, carrot seed oil, sunflower oil and Vitamin E oil amongst other natural oils found from vegetables and fruit.
Vitamin E has been a popular choice for beauty oils even since the ancient Egyptians for skin and hair care purposes and has been considered a valuable source of maintaining healthy skin as it is an excellent antioxidant providing both cell protection as well as maintaining our immune system. The results speak for themselves as Vitamin E has proved an ideal weapon against problematic skin such as roughness, dryness and fine lines - what more could we ask for!

 I would say that I do prefer more creamy forumula's when moisturising my skin and in particular my facial area as opposed to the more oily consistency of this product which I don't normally like applying to my skin. However, the skin does quickly absorb the oil which as shown above is filled with skin loving ingredients that will only serve to nourish and moisturise and there is little excess oil and residue left on the skin surface which I originally thought might be a problem when first trying out this product; you only need to use the smallest amount so don't over do it with the product as it is oil based.

The results speak clearly for themselves as my skin does feel heaps and bounds betters and I look forward to trying out more from the Purely Natural range!

What do you think, will you be trying anything from their range or could you recommend any products specifically for damaged skin?

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benefit wishlist

001. b.right! Radiant Skincare 6 Piece Intro Kit £10 - 002. they're real! mascara £18.50 - 003. the POREfessional £23.50 - 004. watt's up! £24.50 - 005. girl meets pearl £24.50 - 006. erase paste £19.50 - 007. CORALista Blush £23.50 - 008. hervana blush £23.50

As you can see I don't want much from Benefit's range of cosmetics ;) 

Altogether for these eight little beauties I would have to fork over a whopping £144 - wishful thinking for an unemployed student like myself, however, I do hope to add to my benefit makeup collection piece by piece whenever I can and these are my top eight choices.
I particularly want to get my hands on the limited edition radiant skincare kit which is currently out of stock but for a cheap and cheerful £10 where can you go wrong?
I have samples of both the porefessional, which I absolutely adore, thanks to Glamour, and girl meets pearl which adds a much needed luminosity to my skin. As for the blushes I already own Dandelion, a pale rosy pink much more suited to paler skin tones as I believe it is not pigmented enough to show up on darker skintones, and bella bamba which is highly similar to NARS Orgasm and slightly too pink for me.

And isn't the packaging just super cute, I'm a sucker for good packaging!

Are you dying to get hold of any of the Benefit line or do you have any personal favourites?

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