Review: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Good morning!

This month is just flying past, is it really the 29th already?? Crazy!

Today's review is of a well renowned product in the beauty world that has been around for a while.
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm is a so called wonder product, it's an instant radiance booster that helps to minimise signs of fatigue. It not only acts as a primer but also a moisturiser and mask in one. Is this much of a wonder product even possible??

Allegedly you can use this in place of your normal moisturiser for when you need a bit more of a radiance boost, and as a mask for those reeeeeally long weeks where you just need something to SAVE your skin!

It contains four active ingredients with very specific jobs:

• Witch Hazel and Olive tree extracts tighten and promote radiance

• Algae extract revitalises

• Bisabolol soothes and softens

• Rice Starch purifies the epidermis

I've heard plenty about witch hazel over the years but the others I've not heard of so much. Clarins are generally pretty good at using different natural ingredients in their products though so this doesn't bother me too much.

The packaging is pretty standard for Clarins, their very iconic red and white packaging is simple but distinctive.
This balm comes in 50ml tubes and can be purchased from many department stores, online and if you're lucky in duty free too - always looking for a bargain!

So what did I think? Well I used this mainly as a primer. I did apply it as a moisturiser too on top of my normal moisturiser and I'm pleased to say my skin did look more 'awake' and slightly brighter after use.
As a primer I thought it also worked well, my make up stayed on my face just as well as any other primer I have used. It didn't feel like it was covering my skin as it sunk in like a moisturiser, I'd say this one works as a primer because it creates the perfect base with your own skin, rather than covering it and creating a base for your make up to 'stick' to.......if that makes sense?!

The product itself is a pale apricot kind of colour, and I find this helps it to blend in seamlessly. It really does just disappear!

I haven't used this as a mask, my skin needs a lot more hydration than this could give me and so it is unlikely I would use it as one. I pretty much use hydration masks daily at the moment as it's the only way!

That said, this product has been a fun buy. I've always wanted to try it and I'm glad that after all this time I've had the chance to try such a cult product.

One of my favourite things about it is the fact that even though it is brightening and radiance boosting....it's not glittery at all! Not in the slightest, not even the tiniest hint of a shimmery particle that I could see.

You can snap this up from Escentual for £25.50 at the moment, instead of the full price of £29.

Have you tried the Beauty Flash Balm? What did you think?

Do you like trying cult beauty products? What's next on your list?

L xxx

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Infused Complexion Prep Spray

Morning! 

Hope you're all not suffering too much after a night out, fingers crossed the weather won't be too bad today either!

A few weeks ago we attended a product showcase for Urban Decay and you can see our post on it here.

We were totally overwhelmed when we were given a goodie bag with the following contents:

So many things I've been lusting after for so long and I am eternally thankful for the chance to review it all!

We'd both heard a lot about the B6 Prep Spray and having used it at the product showcase we both knew how much we wanted it. It was such a fine mist and cooling on the skin leaving it feeling revived.

The B6 Spray contains the first stabilised form of Vitamin B6 which absorbs oil, minimises pores and reduces redness. It also contains Vitamin E providing anitoxidants and also willow bark which is rich in salicylic acid to help cell turnover.
There were many studies carried out on this spray which found that 81% had a measurable reduction in oil and shine, 78% had more radiant skin with fewer blemishes and redness and most had a measurable reduction in pore size.

The directions involve spraying directly onto clean skin before moisturiser, any time to refresh skin throughout the day and also at night before any treatment. Spray onto your skin from 8-10 inches away several times for the full effect.

The spray feels cooling on your skin and I genuinely enjoy applying it. As someone who isn't especially a toner or thermal water etc an I wasn't sure I'd like it at first but I can honestly say it lives on my bed side table now. It does feel cooling and I do think my skin has improved after using it though I cannot specifically say how. It's odd but my skin is less red and my pores have improved in appearance.

I enjoy applying this although I do think that the mist is a little too generous sometimes. I find there's a lot of fallout onto whatever I am wearing at the time of application which is a shame as I tend to think of this as gold dust now!

The Prep Spray can be purchased for £21.50 which I think considering the rate I've been using it and the amount that's left is a pretty good price! Especially when bought at Debenhams....cannot forget to collect those Beauty Card points ladies!

What do you think of Prep Sprays? Will you be testing this one out?

L xxx

Hey all

I'm the opposite of L and I absolutely love toners and facial sprays. I love the refreshing feel of them and as someone with oily skin I really feel they make a difference.

The day we got our goodie bags I was very ill (suffering from the worlds worst hangover!) so my skin was suffering and I was very dehydrated. As soon as I got home I was spraying this on my face!

I love the packaging. It's almost got a slightly rubberised feel to it and the nozzle sprays the finest mist meaning it can be applied over make up when the skin needs a pick me up without ruining the foundation. As L said I do need to be careful that it's aimed just at the centre of the face though as the mist is so fine is does go everywhere otherwise.

After a few too many nights out, bad meals and sleeping in make up twice a week my skin is understandably not behaving at the moment so I've been switching up my skincare and this has been a very welcome new addition.

Using this in conjunction with a new toner has helped reduce the amount of spots I have, improve my oily skin and the redness left over from spots seems to heal quickly. I tend to use it morning and night and if I'm going out after work I spritz it on then for a little face pick me up!

I can see this fast becoming a skin care staple. I think the price point is reasonable and is around the price of the setting sprays (which I absolutely love!). You do get a lot of product and I can see it lasting ages.

If you're having problem skin or just want it to be a bit brighter I'd really recommend it! Plus it's currently triple points at Debenhams!

Love M

xxx

Review: Stila One Step Illuminating Primer

Good morning! 

Hope you're all doing well. I'm currently at my first ever work conference and I'm excited, nervous and a general bag of beans about it all.

It's all paid for including meals and over nights stays by my company which is lovely and I'm going with another of the girls from work which will be good for some general bonding as I haven't been there long.

But enough of the life updates, we're here to talk about products!

Today I've got a review on a well known Stila One Step Illuminating Primer.

I love using this when I'm in a 'treat' kind of mood or for weekends and nights out.
I've had it since Christmas and have used it most weekends when going out and to events like weddings etc, which when you see pictures below of the product you can see how much I still have left!

This is one of their triple swirled serums which not only primes, brightens and illuminates the skin but also fights wrinkles and smooths fine lines.
As if that wasn't enough it also minimises pores, controls oil and generally hydrates and balances your skin.
This is just quite simply a bit of a wonder product really isn't it?!

Being a triple swirled serum it absorbs into your skin really easily which is great when I'm in a rush, nobody likes sitting around waiting for things to sink in!
The serum is compiled of three different colurs for three different purposes.

Light gold highlights the skin, the pale pink warms the complexion and 'kitten' (an infamous Stila shade) brightens and illuminates.

As mentioned previously I still have so much left of this primer considering I've had it and been using it since Christmas. You need such a small amount to cover your face as it's a serum and it looks great.



I could honestly look at this all day. Things like this will always baffle and entertain me, being a scientist I just want to know how it works and why!



You can see the primer once it has been dispensed on my hand below, it was the easiest way to show the colours, but even so they're so hard to photograph it's hard!

Both me and M are huge fans of Stila primers as we've already posted about their Color Correct serum previously. This was a great present from my mum at Christmas as she knew I'd love the illuminating one too!

It absorbs super quick, leaves a great base, illuminates my skin without being glittery and helps to keep my make up in place for the majority of the day.
In order to maximise my make up longevity I do often mix thi with Revlon's PhotoReady primer for the benefits of them both combined and it's a winning combo for me and my skin!

What's your faovurite Stila product? I've seen some beautiful palettes and blushers, which would you recommend?

L xxx

MUA Pro Base Conceal and Brighten Kit

Hello!

Today I'm writing about a super cheap concealer palette from bargain cosmetics brand MUA.

I was in Superdrug picking up a 3 for 2 deal and couldn't resist picking this up to try as my final item. It was a bargainous £4 at the time and I'm sure you'll agree, a palette for £4 is always worth a try!

It has three different colours and consistencies to cover a wide range of blemishes that I was quite impressed with.

I assume there must be other colours as this kit comes in Porcelain-Beige, but I'm not sure as I would have automatically picked up the lightest colour!

I like that there are the three different shades and effects.
The first is a pinker shade and more illuminating, great for under the eyes.
The second is a thicker, creamier shade that's great for covering redness from spots and other blemishes.
The last is a thicker and more duskier pink coloured concealer that would be great for scars and birthmarks.

These concealers are actually, dare I say it, really good for the £4 price tag.
I'd expect this to cost around £12 if I'd been shown it without any brand names.
All of the concealers are different and apply really easily with your fingers or a brush.

You can see the concealers when applied to my arm below:

In the photos below (taken at 6am in the morning rush...apologies for expressions and quality!) you can see where I've applied the first concealer (pink toned and highlighting) to my undereye.

It has worked really well at concealing dark circles and feels really soft and blendable.
I have only got foundation and concealer on in these pictures so you can see how much of a difference it makes!

I also then applied the middle concealer around my nose area where the skin is slightly redder for some reason. It sometimes looks like I have a cold...when I don't!
As you can see below it has easily covered this up:

I was pretty impressed with the coverage of this concealer. As for longevity, it lasted pretty well throughout the day. I work in warm labs which is a bit of a test for my make up, my under eye concealer did crease but I would say most concealers do this to an extent. The concealer around my nose also needed to be reblended at some point in the day but it was easily done with my fingers which others you couldn't do.

I'd say this was well worth the price tag and I'd recommend to anyone looking for a great multifunctional concealer palette!

Have you tried a palette like this? What do you think of MUA's cheap as chips range??

L xxx

Review: Origins Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment

I'm sure you'll know my love for Origins products is seemingly never ending!

I picked this up in Boots just before Christmas when their 'spend over £60 on premium brands and get £10 of points' offer obviously caught my attention.

I'd seen a few reviews on this and as my skin increasingly needs more hydration but nothing heavy, it seemed like a worthy investment.

There are three different versions in the Make A Difference range, depending on your skin type there's one to suit you.

Although my previously oily skin has become more combination now that it requires increased levels of hydration, I still went ahead and picked up the Rejuvenating Treatment for combination/oily skin after speaking to the skin consultant.

On a side note, don't you hate battered boxes??

Never mind eh!

As you can read for yourself, this contains Rose of Jericho, Lychee and Watermelon for hydration and to repair dehydrated skin.

As usual, I was attracted to the brand via their big love for creating products without chemicals nasties. 

Their list is so extensive that this really impresses me and M, we're big fans!

Enough of gushiness....back to the product.

I do love the packaging that Origins use, it's always clean looking and the colours are all complimentary.

This looks great sat on my dressing table next to GinZing!

As directed, I applied the treatment to my skin morning and evening within my normal routine.

The biggest feature that I love about this product?

THE SMELL!

All Origins products smell pretty good, this one smells particularly fruity and fresh.

I can imagine it will be GREAT to use in summer where the smells will remind you of summer holidays.

This gel seems to melt into your skin and feels amazing.

It hydrates all of the dry patches on my skin, even the oily parts which can be an issue to hydrate without making it turn into an oil slick.

Basically, to sum up this has been a dream for my skin and a real 'treat'ment which I would definitely buy again.

It is a little pricey coming in at £33, but my methodology is that you only get one skin in life and you need to look after it.

On top of that Origins is a brand that uses a minimal amount of chemicals and give great advice, as well as being pretty generous with samples of other products.

I'd buy from them again and again, especially in Boots, as you get lots of points from your purchases ;)

Have you tried any of the Make a Difference range? What's your favourite moisturiser?

How much would you spend?

L xxx