Skincare lovin'

I recently had a little re-vamp of my skincare products. 

I was getting a little tired of my old ones and felt they weren't really working for me as well as they could and thought it was time for a change. I have been testing these products for a couple of weeks and I am so happy with the results!

so here goes

First up Take the Day off Cleansing Balm by Clinique - £20.50

If I'm honest I have never been a huge fan of Clinque skincare. The few products I have tried haven't really done what I wanted them too, but I thought I would give it another try in the form of this cleansing balm.

When I first got it I thought it looked a bit weird and wasn't sure how I was meant to apply it. It the pot it is a solid balm. I scooped a little out and massaged it straight on to dry skin. When you add water in then turns milky rather than lathering up which I love. I have never been too keen on facial cleansers that foam up too much as it hurts my eyes! 

I am slowly starting to love this product. It makes my skin feel so soft and clean after use and since using it I have seen great improvements in my skins texture and tone. Plus I haven't had any break outs (which are a regular occurrence for me unfortunately) so that's gotta be a bonus!! 

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Darphin Toner & Cleansing Milk

When it comes to cleansers and toners I have always used cheaper brands like Simple. I've never been really fussed about them but I thought I would give Darphin a try as I have heard nothing but good things.

I have been using these right before I moisturize and I am seeing some great results. 

Refreshing Cleansing Milk £19

The cleansing milk really does lifts off any makeup that has been left behind as well as any soap residue or impurities in the skin. It makes your skin feel soft and refreshed.

Refreshing Toner £19

When reading about this product I saw on the website that it contains Fig and Banana extract which revitalize and tone the look of the skin. 

This toner smells lovely and makes you skin feel tingly and clean. 

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Studio Moisture Cream by M.A.C - £23.50

I have tried many moisurisers in the last few years from Creme de la Mer to Nivea. I know how important it is to moisturise your skin regularly to keep skin looking healthy and glowing.

What actually got me interested in this product was the little paragraph of information next to this moisturiser on the MAC website. It says:

"A super-rich creamy moisturiser boosted with skin-nourishing extracts including passion fruit, spinach leaf, green tea, algae, wheat germ and coconut. Moistens, feeds, firms and protects the skin. Promotes a healthy radiance. diminishes the appearance of fine lines. Good for day and night."

Now, if you're a bit of an ingredients geek like me, that may interest you as much as it did me. Some of the ingredients listed I know are amazing for your skin, so I just had to give it a try. 

I love the fact that you can use and as both your day and night cream. I have never believed in having separate ones. 

It's also great that it firms the skin and reduces appearance of fine lines. I am not quite old enough to worry about fine lines yet but hopefully this will prolong a youthful skin!

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Hydrating eye cream by Bobbi Brown - £29

I have never used an eye cream before. I never really felt the need. But in recent months I have found my under eyes looking a little dehydrated, especially when I put foundation/concealer on it made me skin look a little dry and it's not a good look!

So I decided to invest in this Bobbi Brown eye cream. I have never used any of Bobbi Browns skincare before this, so I was intrigued to find out what it was like. 

I like the feel of this eye cream, its not sticky or greasy and absorbs straight in to the skin. I made the mistake of applying it too close to my eye the first time I used it and this did make my eyes sting a little but if you just dab a little around the socket bone with out going too close to your actual eye you should be fine. 

It contains Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel which soothe and comfort the skin as well as Jojoba seed, Avocado Oil and Squaland which condition and revive the skin. 

Overall I am pretty pleased with this product, it has stopped any dryness completely and brightens my eye area.  It also helps my concealer to go on a little more effortlessly and look more even. 

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Primed to Perfection

Before becoming a makeup artist I never really realized the importance or priming your skin before foundation. I have found that a lot of people miss out this step when applying their makeup.

If you use a decent primer it will keep your foundation on a lot longer, it gives a smoother base to put your fondation on to and can reduce how much foundation you actually need to use.

My all time favorite primer is Prep + Prime skin base by MAC. It is the one I have used for the past few years and it does the job for me. I find this primer really soothes my skin and reduces any red blotchy patches. My skin can get a little oily sometimes and this product really helps to blot away any excess oil, without drying my skin out. One or two pumps of this normally is enough to cover my whole face which means one bottle lasts for a good few months! Well worth its £19.50 price tag.

I have been hearing a lot of hype about the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. It has won awards and got some great reviews so I thought I'd give it a try! It's good to try other products and brands as you never know, there might be something better out there for you!

I tried out this primer for a week under my foundation. My first thoughts were that when it goes on it has a slightly oily texture but once rubbed in it makes your skin feel silky soft. It did make the application of my foundation a little easier and for the first couple of days I was really happy with it.

But after the couple of days I found my skin was becoming increasing dry and flaky. I have combination skin but have never experienced this from previous primers! I hadn't changed anything in my skincare or makeup routine except for the switch of primers. So I knew it must have been this product drying my skin out. After this I converted back my old primer and my skin went back to normal. 

This smashbox primer is £25 which I think is a little pricey for a little tube.

I won't be re-buying this particular primer but would be interested to try the more hydrating version by Smashbox and see if that's any better.

I would love to hear if any of you have used this Smashbox primer and had the same outcome? I wonder if this primer would work better on a really oily skin tone? I'd love to hear your views!

Is it all about the price tag?

I'd like to share with you a quick little review on a couple of exfoliators I have been testing out recently.  I have very awkward skin, I find it really difficult to find skincare products that will suit me, I always have to test a few out before I find one I love! I decided to try out two different exfoliators from different company's at opposite ends of the price scale. 

I wanted to see if paying more for skincare products was really worth it or are you just paying for the name?

So the first one I tried was

Clearskin Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Scrub from AVON.

Now I'm not the biggest fan of Avon, I have had bad experiences with their makeup in the past. I have bought a few eyeshadows and lipstick off them years ago and found the colour pay off was pretty poor. So as a result I have avoided the brand ever since. Up until now.  I was recommended this product by a friend (who knows her stuff in the beauty world might I add) and I trusted her judgement.

Here are Avons key claims about this product which are advertised on their website:

"Cools and exfoliates to reveal fresher and brighter skin, dissolving and controlling pore-clogging dirt and oil for a shine-free look. With Salicylic Acid to remove dirt and oil and Glycolic Acid to exfoliate and reveal new skin."

Overall, I do actually really like this product, it is available for just £5.50 for 125ml bottle.

I like the texture of it, you can really feel it working it to your skin but it isn't too abrasive. There is nothing worse than your skin feeling sore after a sandblasting from a harsh exfoliator. It makes the skin feel fresh and clean and slightly tingly.

Although I do like this product, I haven't found that it has make a remarkable difference to my skin. I find quite often my skin texture is a little uneven and this product didn't help with this at all. I had read some reviews on this product before I bought it and it seems this product is fantastic for acne prone skin. If you suffer from acne this may be a great and affordable product for you to try! 

My second choice was

 The Refining Facial from Créme de la Mer

I have been hearing so many things about the brand 'Créme de la Mer'. I have tried the moisturizer in the past and didn't really see great enough effects for the £100 price tag!

Anyway I was told about this miracle facial scrub called 'The Refining Facial' by them so thought it may be worth a try.

Here is what the company claim about the product:

"This exfoliating treatment's fermented sea muds and pure diamond powder instantly polish skin and stimulate circulation to reveal a fresh, translucent complexion. With the nutrient-rich Miracle Broth™, the heart of Crème de la Mer's profound powers of transformation, skin looks rejuvenated, smoothed and radiant."

After reading this little paragraph I was instantly intrigued. What girl doesn't want a bit of diamond dust as part of their skincare routine?

This product really is amazing! After one use I could see a visible difference in my skins texture. My skin felt so much smoother and softer. Any dry patchy skin disappeared and I felt glowing and healthy. Plus it smells great! It is quite a thick 'mud' like consistency. I apply it straight on to skin and gently massage in. Then rinse off with water.

The only downside to this product is the affordability. It retails at £65 which is a hell of a lot of money for an exfoliator! Although if you have problems with your skin, it could be a great investment for a happier you! 

Here is how I rated these products: 

Clear skin Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Scrub from AVON.

Performance 4/5

Texture 4/5

Smell 2/5

Affordability 5/5

Overall 3.5/5

The Refining Facial from Créme de la Mer

Performance 5/5

Texture 5/5

Smell 4/5

Affordability 1/5

Overall 4/5

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear about your favorite exfoliating products or if you have tried these, how did you rate them?