Una Brennan Super Facialist daily brightening cleanser

Another #LiveBloggers goody review. This is the Una Brennan Super Facialist daily brightening cleanser (part of the firming regime), which I have been using for over a month.

This is a foaming cleanser, which I have been steering clear from based on the advice of Beauty Mouth after I attended her live clinic at 'The Only Way is Blogging’ earlier this year. That being said, the cleanser does feel nice to use, foams up well and isn't drying. The disappointing thing is that I didn't find that it removed all my makeup with one wash and after double cleansing — another no-no with a foaming cleanser according to Mrs Hirons — my skin did feel dry and tight. I have dry skin anyway, so this may not be an issue for anyone with normal or oily skin, but I would still recommend using a separate makeup remover first.

In terms of the scent, it is pleasant. I'm not going to lie, I have no idea what neroli smells like and the smell of this isn't something recognise.....so I'm guessing that's neroli.

The product says that the cleanser is meant to help to ensure skin is left more youthful-looking and contains antioxidants, a tightening polysaccharide and hyaluronic acid, which in combination, should cleanse, brighten and firm. In terms of the firming properties, I haven't noticed any difference in my skin, but I would want to try out all of the range together before making a comment. My skin has been in very good condition and looking clear and less congested recently and I do believe that this has helped to brighten and I am glad that I have noticed any changes for the worse since using it.

I hadn’t heard of this brand before #LiveBloggers and my first impression from the packaging was that it would be something pricy and difficult to get hold of, but it can be found in Boots for a reasonable £7.99. I am tempted to try out some other products in the range, such as the pre-cleansing oil, which I imagine will be an ideal product to use in combination with this cleanser.

Have you used anything from the range, if so, what do you recommend?

Bioderma micelle solution review

Fellow beauty fanatics will know that feeling of excitement that comes when finding a raved about product — especially when that product is so difficult to get hold of.

Bioderma is one of those raved about products so I was very happy to find it in every pharmacy all over Dubai. In the blogging world, it seems to be considered the holy grail of cleansers, particularly for removing eye makeup quickly and without causing irritation.

So what did I think?

It’s alright.

I was expecting a “wow” and sadly it didn’t give me that. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, I do and I can certainly understand where all the hype comes from — but it just didn’t impress me enough.

It is non-drying, has no offensive smell and is extremely gentle on the eyes. It is very good at removing eye makeup with one quick sweep, as for the rest of the face, I still ended up using a regular cleanser to remove a lot of residual makeup.

Considering it is so difficult to get hold of and is on the pricey side for a cleanser, I have to admit I am a little relieved that it is something I can live without.

So now I want to know, what product hasn’t lived up to the hype for you?

Quick review: Konjac face sponge

You should all know by now how much I love my skincare and enjoy trying out new products. So I was really pleased to see the Konjac puff sponge in my iFabbo goodie bag, especially since I had already seen something like it on Lovemakeup.com.

I was given the pure konjac sponge, which is suitable for all skin types. There are other sponges available, which include red, green and pink clay for dry/mature, combination and damaged skin, respectively. There is also a bamboo charcoal sponge for oily skin types. 

Using the sponge is meant to offer many benefits, including gentle exfoliation, stimulating cell growth and renewal, deep cleansing and balancing the acidity of the skin. It is also non-abrasive and therefore suitable for sensitive skin and the most unique point…. there is no need for product.

The sponge is 100% natural and made from the root of a konjac plant, which also makes the sponge 100% biodegradable. So extra points for being environmentally friendly!

The sponge is extremely soft, don’t be fooled by its loofah like appearance. To use, all you do is run it under a tap, squeeze out the excess and massage in a circular motion all over the skin. Once you are finished all you do is rinse and leave it to dry (the sponge dries hard, but all you need to do is run it under the tap again).

It does feel lovely to use and it certainly is very gentle. As for deep cleaning, I am not convinced. I was told that the sponge could be used to remove your makeup and whilst it did remove some, I still needed to use a cleanser.

I won’t be giving up cleanser just yet but I have been using this occasionally to cleanse my skin in the morning and for the cleansing steps in between my home facial routine. 

Liz Earle series: cleanse, tone and moisturise

So where better to start in my Liz Earle series than with the skincare? I believe cleanse and polish was one of the first things developed, and if it wasn’t it is definitely the product she is known best for.

Cleanse and Polish

As I said in the last blog post I have been a user of Liz Earle, on and off, for about 10 years. When I decided I wanted to sort out the problems with my skin, cleanse and polish was one of the products I turned to because it is so simple to use as well as gentle.

I’m sure many of you are aware that cleanse and polish is a cream cleanser, which you apply to dry skin and wipe off using a damp muslin cloth. It has a delicate scent and is very good at removing makeup (including eye makeup) easily, not quite as good as my clarisonic but much better than a lot of wash cleansers — also, using the muslin cloth there is also a gentle exfoliating effect.

At the moment I have the cleanser in a tube but I prefer the pump bottle since I can control the amount of product I get out much more easily.

I’ve heard Liz Earle claim she doesn’t have blackheads as a result of using this cleanser and although I haven’t noticed anything quite as drastic as that, I know a combination of this and the superskin oil (review to come) really helped to control my breakouts and even out my skin tone.

Skin boosting tonic

The skin boosting tonic (toner) is one of those products in the collection, which I believe is hugely underrated. It smells beautiful, is really gentle and refreshing on the skin and I can be used in a number of ways.

I won’t take credit for these ideas since I heard them all watching Liz Earle on QVC, I use a spray bottle to spritz the tonic on my face, which is refreshing and hydrating on hot days and I have also used this to set my makeup — not sure how good it is at keeping my make up in place but it does give a nice finish! Finally I also use soak cotton pads with the tonic and place them over my eyes when I put on face masks and want to imitate a home spa experience.

Skin repair moisturiser

This is the weakest link in the collection in my opinion. Over the years I am pretty sure that the formulation has changed, the scent seems more subtle than I remember (which is a good thing).

I am using the normal/combination moisturiser at the moment (even though my skin is actually dry) and after 10 minutes I can still feel a very slight residue on my skin. I personally don’t mind this, but anyone with true combination skin might find this a bit heavy.

There is also a light moisturiser, for oily skin, and a dry skin moisturiser. There are also other moisturisers in her collection such as the superskin moisturiser (and oil), which I think are better.

I do think I have found a dupe to the cleanser and toner, which I will review soon! In the meantime I would love to know what you think and what products are your favourites.

Quick review: Body Shop vitamin C facial cleansing polish

I am not really a body shop fan, but after finding an outlet store that offered 40% off when you brought 4 items I thought I might put my prejudice aside and give them another try.

I picked up three items from the vitamin C range, the facial cleansing polish being one of them. They also have a vitamin C microdermabrasion wash but after having a quick feel of the granules they felt too harsh even for me!

The granules in this scrub are much more gentle, which makes this suitable for every day use. I personally like to leave a face scrub to use in the shower, since they are much less messy that way. The scrub combined with the light orange scent meant that this was very refreshing to use in the morning and wake me up.

Overall, I liked this but I didn’t love it. My skin felt clean after use and I didn’t notice any reaction but at the same time I didn’t see any noticeable improvement.

Organic surge skincare review

After my experience with Good Things skin care (which broke me out) using Organic Surge has been a dream. All their products contain naturally derived ingredients and essential oils and are free from SLS, parabens, synthetic colorants and fragrances.

I have been using the daily care face wash and the intensive moisturiser for around 2 months which were recommended to me for my skin type by the representatives when I purchased them.

The cleanser foams amazingly well which I have begun to not expect from organic products. The cleanser has a subtle rose scent. When I use it alone it cleanses well although I would suggest taking any makeup off with a specific makeup remover before cleansing. I have also used it with my clarisonic and it works very well when you add some of the cleanser directly to the brush. After washing my skin feels very soft and the cleanser does not give that dry, tight feeling.

The moisturiser has a thick consistency but spreads well on the skin. It does leave a slightly oily residue when initially applied but sinks in quickly. The condition of my skin has changed considerably since using this, although that being said I don’t know if I can put it down to this product completely. My skin has always been dry but it now feels much more hydrated and smooth on a daily basis. The scent of this is similar to that of the cleanser but a little stronger. The only negative for me with this product is that it is in a tub rather than a tube purely for the purposes of hygiene.

Best of all this range did not break me out. I managed to try out the range on a buy one get one free promotion, but even without such promotions the range is very affordable at £4-8 each and is available via their website as well as in stores. Although I didn’t like the haircare range too much the skin care has agreed with me much more and I would repurchase both these items as well as try out other products in the range.

That being said as much as I like this range once I am done with it I am on the hunt for something new to try so any recommendations are welcome.

Quick Review - Boots Organic Cleansing Balm

I tried out the Boots Organic Cleansing Balm after a recommendation. I must admit I have always ignored the Boots own range, for no good reason but I am really impressed with this product and would want to check out more of the range. This product is actually 92% organic ingredients so ticks off my want of more natural products.

The cleanser is packaged in a tub, presented in a box which also contains a muslin cloth. The cleanser is a semi-solid consistency, much like wax, which when you pick up and rub between your palms, melts, and applies easily to the skin. Over time crystals do form but these easily melt away and you are warned of this in the packaging. Only a small amount is needed, making it great value for money since it will last a long time.

As you have probably guessed, it is a hot cloth cleansing system, and the balm is removed using the muslin cloth. You do have to use the muslin cloth to remove, since much like wax, water alone won’t remove it (and therefore this does not work with my clarisonic). After a few uses the muslin cloth feels as though it has wax over the surface. Having used Liz Earle previously, I prefer the muslin cloths she supplies, since they feel as though they remove the balm better and have more on an exfoliating effect.

The balm has a lovely lemon/citrus scent, and the instructions suggest that once you have applied it, to leave the cloth over your face as a relaxing treat, which it really is. It cleanses well, removing makeup and eye makeup, but as I mentioned previously it is better used with the Liz Earle muslin cloth rather than the one supplied. From the first use, my skin felt really soft, smooth and clean.

This will definitely be a cleanser I repurchase and take away on holidays since I do miss using my clarisonic, or I may use this in the morning and use the clarisonic at night for a deeper cleanse. It is great quality and value for the price (£6.63) and although I cannot compare it to other balms, as a hot cloth cleansing system it is on a par with Liz Earle, who only gets ahead slightly, since I don’t get the same paranoia about leaving cream residue on my face as I do the balm.

Good Things…..We’ll see…..

I picked up a selection of the GOOD THINGS skin care products in Boots. Having recently also purchased the Organic Surge skincare range I am looking forward to a comparative of the two. GOOD THINGS gives across the impression that it is natural and potentially a competitor to Organic Surge but I do not think that this is the case and possibly just misleading since every product mentions the use of a superfruit extract, however on closer inspection these are all found pretty low in the list of ingredients. On the positive side, the products are all free from SLS, mineral oils and parabens, but I will have to do a bit more research before I can comment on the ingredients. 

I purchased the cream cleanser, dream cream night cream, day cream and bright eyes, all based on positive reviews on the Boots website. With regard to first impressions, I love the packaging and in terms of price, both brands are comparable. The creams feel light and absorb into the skin well but I am not loving the scent. All products smell quite artificial to me, and although it is not off putting, so far I prefer Organic Surge. 

These are only my first impressions, I just need to decided which to start with now! At the moment my skin is not particularly bad, but is not improving either so I am hoping to find something which will encourage this.

If you have tried any of these products please let me know and be sure to check back for my review. 

Montagne Jeunesse Sensuous Spice Mask Review

A real-time face mask review (not quite brave enough to take a picture and show you but trust me!). I have used this a number of times now and overall really like it. For me the experience of wearing a face mask can influence my opinion of it a lot. The self heating quality of this mask is what I love, along with the strong smell of cinnamon.

A little information about the mask itself as found on the bottle. 

‘exotic spices of cinnamon and ginger, this sensuous treat gently warms to open pores and draws out impurities to leave your skin radiant and deep cleansed'. 

The warming sensation lasts strongly for less than minute but then after that is far more subtle. I have found with some face masks/scrubs in the past that the warming feeling is uncomfortable but is not at all.

The mask itself is orange in colour and although thick is not the typical consistency you get from clay based masks, even though after a quick check of the ingredients this contains all the typical clay component you would expect, namely kaolin. I am not entirely sure why this is, the colour doesn’t really bother me but I would prefer a more creamy consistency.

Following cleansing you apply for 15-20 minutes, I generally opt for the longer time. Although the warm feeling does pass in the whole time the scent of cinnamon is strong, considering I love the smell, I really like that, but I assume for anyone who doesn’t, it may be a bit overwhelming.

As you can see from the image, the bottle provided is meant to hold about 10 applications. I have used this about 5 times now, however I cannot tell how much is left since the bottle is covered. Trying to judge from the weight however I imagine I will get 10 uses.

I like that Montagne Jeunesse have their masks in tubes now, the pouches are great for one off treats and as testers but typically there is more than one treatment worth and storage just becomes difficult. Overall though I like the pouch format so I wouldn’t want them to get rid of it completely but it is good that the favourites are available to buy as a tube.

Washing off is not difficult with warm water, although you do have to be careful to get it all or you get orange stains on your towels! Not permanent, just a bit unsightly. Where I would usually wipe off face masks with a muslin cloth for the same reason I just stick to rinsing with my hands.

I have dry skin and the mask does not make it feel tight after use. My skin feels fresh and clean (and slightly softer) which is essentially the purpose of a deep cleanse mask so I do not really notice any other additional changes in it.

I have to admit the first time I used this mask it wasn’t an instant favourite, I have used the body shop heating mask which also has a similar scent and really liked that. Although this is different in a lot of ways the outcome is the same and I know my skin benefits from a deep cleanse every so often. The directions do not suggest how often to use but I would say 3 times a week since that seems to be the standard for similar masks.

I feel like I need a summary so, overall;
Smell - 5*
Consistency - you get used to
Use - easy!
Result - as it says on the tube!
Experience - 5*

Soap and Glory Enormous Beauty Bundle First Thoughts

So if you do read my posts regularly you will know I ordered the Soap and Glory bundle from Boots at the weekend. For £40 this is excellent value for money and I was very excited to come home yesterday and find it waiting for me.

These are my first impressions.

First off, Boots, why the enormous box? After getting through that the products were all packaged in a smaller box. The packaging itself is beautiful. All pink and white based, with witty instructions and descriptions for each item. Although some of it is a little cheesy it is nice to see that effort and detail has been put into this. There were 10 products in total, 2 body, 2 cleansing, 3 face and 3

lip products.

The two products I am most excited about ‘No clogs allowed’ super self heated deep pore detox mask and ‘the fab pore’ 15 minute facial peel. I love anything related to unclogging/cleaning pores. I really liked heated masks and what appeals to me about this product is that it only recommends leaving it on for 3-5 minutes which is great for days when you need that deep clean and pick me up but don’t have time for a longer pampering session. ‘The fab pore’ is exactly for that longer pampering time. It contains my two favourite ingredients, koalin and salicylic acid, so helps to draw out impurities with the clay element and the salicylic acid helps the cells of the epidermis to shed more readily, opening clogged pores and also helping with preventing the pores to clog again by constricting them and of course allowing new cell growth.

I’m not going to talk about all the products in the bundle since I would like a chance to try and review them. I was however pleasantly surprised with the lip products. I am undecided as to whether or not I will use the lipgloss since I don’t have an issue with ‘skinny lips’ and I have read reviews and heard from friends that this actually works! The ‘mighty mouth’ lips kit, is what has sparked my interest the most. inside comes a conditioning lip gloss as well as a double-ended lip balm. One end is a standard lip balm, whilst the other contains, smoothing balm (pictured below) which they recommend is used at night ready for smooth lips in the morning. I am really looking forward to trying this out and think it may act as a contender for my blistex intensive lip moisturiser. Unfortunately I have no idea how to use the ‘marvelips’ (also pictured below) and the instructions do not make much sense to me. Equally, online reviews are mixed, so any one with any insight please let me know!)

I can’t wait to try all these goodies out, look out for plenty of reviews in the future.

If you are interested in purchasing a bundle yourself you will need to be quick since they are limited and one selection is already off the website.

Lush Products Review

I love the philosophy behind Lush and therefore always wanted to try them, so armed with a 10% off voucher I hit my local store. I was more interested in the face products, initially drawn to the fresh face masks and was soon chatting to a very keen employee. She performed an entire facial routine on my hand (following a quick chat about my skin type and concerns (dry, breakouts, blackheads)) consisting of;

1. 9 to 5 orchid oil cleansing lotion,

2. Fresh Farmacy (sic) bar

3. Oatifix Fresh Face Mask

4. Eau-Roma water

5. Full of Grace serum bar

5. Skin’s Shangri La moisturiser

Unfortunately there are no pictures to accompany this post, since I have used all these products for over a month now and they don’t look very presentable

Well after all this I brought all items apart from the toner and moisturiser, as well as buying the shower/emotibomb, in the ‘up you get’ scent.

The cost was still pretty high even with the 10% discount but generally these organic/natural products are, and I have been using most for well over a month and they should still have a few more weeks use.

First off was the shower bomb, which had a lovely scent and I believe that is it’s only purpose, so at £2 a use I can’t imagine I will be repurchasing this too often!

At the store I was told that the 9 to 5 should be used as a pre-cleanser to remove make up and oil before using the fresh farmacy or other soap/cleanser. As a makeup remover I wasn’t too impressed it didn’t remove very much and I had to repeat at least twice before I was happy to move on to the fresh farmacy. The smell of the product isn’t to my liking although it is not offensive. I also didn’t like the feeling on my skin after wiping away, it was almost itchy, so I definitely couldn’t have used this alone without washing my face again after. So I can safely say I will not be repurchasing this one. My sister uses and swears by the Ultrabland cleanser used in a similar way to the 9-5 so I may well be swiping a pot of hers to try that out.

Fresh Farmacy is advertised as an ‘cleansing chamomile and calamine bar for troublesome skin,’ this was given to me since I complained about my monthly breakouts. Also added are rose, tea tree and lavender oils all known for their skin calming properties. Tea tree is also known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. I do like this soap apart from the fact that I find it a bit drying so maybe if my skin wasn’t so dry this would be better. I don’t know if it really has helped with breakouts although I can’t say my skin is worse following its use over the last 2 months.

The fresh face masks are suitable for use if kept in the fridge for 3-4 weeks after purchase, in this time I only ever used it twice mostly because it was such a messy formulation to work with. The result is soft, smooth, hydrated feeling skin, the process of wiping it the mask off acts to gently exfoliate. However, I also had oat particles all over my clothes from initially putting it on my face and then anything which fell off in the 10 minute treatment time which was a big off-putting factor. I didn’t like the smell, but my mum and sister really liked it. I know the other fresh face masks have different consistencies so I will definitely try one of those since I do apply face masks 2-3 times a week but just didn’t get along with this one.

Finally the full of grace serum bar, this is probably my favourite product of all I brought. The smell took some getting used too I think that was the portobello mushrooms used for its antioxidant properties. This serum is designed again for soothing properties, although they do have another which is more suitable for oily skin. You just let the serum bar melt slightly with the heat of your hand and smooth over your face, alternatively, massage into the skin. The lush website suggests that you can use this before a fresh face mask, but I have used this daily since I brought it after cleansing and before moisturising.

I hope this small review was helpful for some. Lush has great customer service and they are very willing to provide samples of products if you ask for one. I think its just going to take me a little longer to find products I love and that are suitable for me. Let me know your experiences either with these products or any other Lush products, I would love an idea of what to try next!