Beauty Rehab

Hey all!

I've got my first Beauty Rehab since moving out - it's been a weird kind of obsession keeping all my empties whilst I've moved and decorated but I've succeeded. What's annoyed me even more was the fact I no longer have my lovely white desk at my parents house, so nowhere to photograph them. hmmmph.

So instead I've taken some pretty awful photos on a dark rainy evening on top of a super old blanket chest in my living room - with boxes full of stuff to sort in the background. It's not ideal but it was time to sort through them all!

Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation - I loved this when i purchased it as my skin must have been a lot better. Nowadays I'm always tired so need a lot more!
Estee Lauder Double Wear - loved this, would definitely repurchase
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish - hated this, keeping the bottle for Back 2 Mac. The finish was awful!
Vichy Dermablend - also love this, it's a long term staple in my make up bag and I have another 2 as back ups!
Rimmel Stay Matte powder - love this too, why pay more when this powder is as good as Mac if not better

Dr Bronner's Citrus Orange Soap - love the smell of this so much, I'd repurchase from TK Maxx or similar as it's much cheaper
Aussie products - love love love Aussie and would repurchase always!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - love this stuff, saves me on a weekly basis when there just isn't enough time for washing hair! Always buy them in bulk in every scent, and especially the dark one
Aussie Dry Shampoo - to be honest this was pretty awful. it was like a well scented hairspray, but stickier, it wasn't a dry shampoo at all which was disappointing
L'Occitane Conditioner - considering this is quite expensive for a conditioner it was pretty average. I'm not fussy with hair products at all but it took me forever to use it up as it made my hair feel like straw
Nip and Fab Detox Blend Body Wash - this was also pretty average which was a shame as I love their skincare line

Nip and Fab Deep Cleansing Fix - talking of Nip and Fab, this is a great buy! Even better when it's on offer, its a cleanser mask etc etc wonder product!
Vaseline deodorant - I wouldn't normally bother sharing my deodorant but I always find these cans disappointing, supposedly compressed but realistically I don't think they are at all
Boots Nail Polish Remover - this was great, full of acetone so not ideal but worked a treat on glitter!
Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion - I'm embarrassed to think how old this bottle is, look at that old packaging! Still a favourite with me though, the best tanning moisturiser

Good Things Argan Oil Facial Serum - this tube disappeared overnight, I need to buy this in massive tubs!
Origins Drink Up mask - this is great, I'd repurchase purely for the smell but the effects on my skin are pretty awesome
Lacura Aqua Complete Serum - a super buy for the £3.99 price tag from Aldi, definitely worth slapping on and I have a few variations of it in my drawer
Elemis Pro-Radiance Cleanser - this was a lovely product to try as I'd never used Elemis before, a great cleanser and I'd love a full size if I could afford it!
No7 Facial Wipes - always in my stash somewhere for saving me when the day has been so long

Effaclar Duo - already repurchased during my trip to Paris, an absolute essential!
Lacura Beautifying Serum - on my second bottle, enough said!
Tigi BedHead Some Like it Hot - not sure if this serum really works but it was a lovely serum that didn't coat the hair and leave it feeling plastic or dry
Gilchrist and Soames Shower Gel - wasn't a fan of this smell, wouldn't repurchase

Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara - pretty good mascara but I still find Rimmel the best for the price
Benefit Roller Lash - i love Benefit mascaras, they are definitely the best for me and I'm one of those people that likes both this and They're Real, unfortunately just cannot justify buying it at the moment - this makes me very sad and I'm saving up Boots points
Models Own Nail Polish - I loved this champagne gold colour and cannot believe it's dried up! Will need to buy another
Benefit Porefessional - love this and have kept my minis for travelling so I can get through airports without hassle!
Real Techniques Expert Face brush - sadly this one has died on me and the bristles have started to fall out as you can see. Not much point in keeping it now! Will repurchase another when I'm feeling spendy

So what do you think of my empties? Have you been using up lots or have you been hoarding like I used to?

I think with all of my empty foundation bottles I'm due a treat of a new one don't you think???

L xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hi all!

I've got another installment to the Beauty Rehab series I've been writing for the last two years now. I can't believe it's that long!
It was my aim to have downsized my stash by now and i never thought I'd still be writing them as I assumed I would have worked my way through the majority by now. I obviously need to up my game and get a move on using stuff up. I haven't actually bought many products for a long time, but i do think Christmas/Birthday sets contribute greatly and also I do seem to acquire products that some people no longer want so that doesn't help!

I'm hoping to move out as soon as I've got myself back on my feet financially which is probably at least a year away, I'm giving myself the rather large target of getting rid of as much as possible....i.e. almost all of it by Christmas. I need to get a move on!

La Roche Posay - Toleriane cleanser is a gel cleanser and I absolutely loved it. So easy to use when you come home from a night out and want more than a face wipe but cant be bothered with a muslin cloth. It's ideal and I'd repurchase.

Label M - Honey and Oat conditioner. This goes with the shampoo i finished in a previous post; probably the first time I've finished a shampoo before it's conditioner! This smelt warm and comforting and did a god job of being a daily conditioner.

No7 Protect and Perfect Body Serum - This was donated to me and I did enjoy using it until the top starting to come apart and it started to dry out so I can't really give this a review as it was still full! Pooooooooor packaging.

Origins Zero Oil Toner - Surprisingly loved this, really good at absorbing oil for the day and although I'm not a toner fan I would consider buying this again to keep my oil at bay.

Antipodes Divine Oil - already repurchased as 3 days without it made me cry. So much love for this oil!

Lacura Aqua Complete Serum - Enjoyed this especially for the bargain of £3.50. Would repurchase.

Murad Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator - This was really nice and was so light it felt like a serum, can't say that I'd repurchase though for the £49.50 price tag as I just cannot afford that on a regular basis!

Skin Revivals Facial Cleansing Oil - this took a bit of getting into as I'd never used an oil cleanser before, but it was GREAT at removing eye make up especially mascara so I persevered and used this every day to remove it before cleansing with my normal one. Wouldn't repurchase at this time.

Benefit They're Real mini mascara - LOVE. I save my minis like a kid saves sweets.

Dr Organic Manuka Honey Lip Balm - so battered you can barely read it, the sign of a well used product! Would definitely repurchase!

Rimmel's Scandaleyes - I liked this initially but i think other Rimmel mascaras work better on my lashes, sometimes this clumped together for me.

Collection Lasting Perfection Powder - I know there's some left in this....it's done that funny thing where its got a coating on it from usage and I just can't be bothered to try and salvage it. I personally prefer Stay Matte to this.

Origins Starting Over moisturiser sample - Enjoyed using this in the nights but not sure my skin needs this much just yet...save it for when I'm older!

Origins Andrew Weil Mega Bright serum -  I've never met a serum from Origins that i haven't liked and this was no exception. If only it was cheaper I'd snap it up regularly!

Revlon Nearly Naked - Took me a while to get into this, think it was probably because my skin wasn't good enough at the time but I soon loved it. I would repurchase in future after I've worked my way through some of the others in my stash

Eysilix eye cream - This was a funny one. Didn't love it and i wouldn't repurchase because my eyes seem to be sensitive to it on random occasions, but it did hydrate my eye area and my under eye bags did lessen somewhat.




So that's what I've been using up recently, are any of these your favourites? Have you loved or loathed any of them? Are you working your way through your own stash?

I need some serious focus over the next few months!

L xxx

Review: La Roche Posay's Toleriane Cleanser

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I'm back again with another skincare favourite of mine today.

I wrote a few days ago about the infamous Effaclar Duo, one of La Roche Posay's most popular products.

At the time there was a deal on, as always! And I picked up the Toleriane Cleanser too.

After a night out, I cannot be bothered to wash my face with hot water, cleanser and cloth.
BUT I feel bad if I only use a face wipe. My skin is finally getting to a good stage and I don't want it to get back to how it was.

So that's where the Toleriane cleanser comes in!

As you can see at the bottom of the picture above, this is a dermo-cleanser which will remove make up from face and eyes and works on all skin types including intolerant skin.

It's a white gel cleanser that melts onto your skin and lifts all of your make up and dirt off your face.



It is SO easy to use I'm still a bit shocked. You don't even have to wash this off your face, you can just let it air dry and the make up has still been removed from your face.

I love it!

At 3am after a night out, all I'm concerned about is taking my shoes off, getting into my bed and falling asleep.

This is the best product for this time of night as it's so easy to use, actually works, doesn't break the bank and my skin hasn't reacted to it at all.

It's also fragrance, surfactant, preservative and paraben free which is amazing.
This cleanser could be used by any age, any skin type at any time. I've used it in the morning when I've been in a rush (sleeping through my alarm...) coming in from work when I've had a long day and just don't have the energy, and as previously mentioned, a little bit wobbly after cocktails.

You can pick up the 200ml bottle of Toleriane cleanser from Boots for £11.00 (or 1100 points!)

What do you think of gel cleansers? Do you love the ones that melt your make up off so fast you wonder why you've never used it before?

L xxx

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Compensating Soothing Moisturizer

This was something I recently found in my sample stash box. I'm trying not to buy new things at the moment until I've used up some of my huge collection. I was lucky enough to win a competition Escentual.com hosted when Bioderma came to the UK to win a sample size of it. Escentual generously sent out a huge bag full of samples and goodies and this was one of them.

I didn't pay too much attention to it at first and forgot about it. I've never tried anything from La Roche-Posay. My skin lately has been feeling dry but still getting oily so I decided to root through my sample box to see if I could find anything. Then I saw this and it sounded like everything I was looking for in a moisturiser. 

The moisturiser is paraben free which is always a good thing and non comedogenic. I like that the product has been tested on ache prone skin so you know that it's going to provide the mositure without breaking you out. 

It's packaging I like. Hello tube and not having to stick my fingers into a pot. I find I need just over a pea sized amount to cover my face and neck. I

It's a light moisturiser that sits well on the skin and easily sinks in. I was worried about using something that was going to give my skin back some moisture during that day as I was worried it would make me oilier quicker. The light formula makes a great base for my make up and doesn't make me face oiler quicker.

As you can see blended in there is no shine on my hand. It leaves my skin soft and well moisturised. I'm really loving this. Best of all 40ml retails for only £9.50. I'm always on the look out for more reasonably prices skincare.

I'll definitely be trying more from La Roche-Posay. Any recommendations? Fancy trying this. If you're quick it's on offer at Escentual for only £6.37 here. They currently have 1/3 off all french skincare.

Love M

xxx

Don't forget to check out our giveaway here

Skincare Wardrobe - Update

Hello!

I keep meaning to write this post for SUCH a long time now that I thought it was about time it actually got done.

Since starting this blog I have of course spent a shed load of money on various products but primarily on skin care. When starting this blog I was a culprit of using only a face wipe and occasionally eye make up remover along with moisturiser as my daily routine. This shocks me immensely and I now cannot believe I did this!

Obviously I soon realised this wasn't going to cut it and I have significantly changed my 'Skincare Wardrobe' if you like, and here is the updated contents!

I currently use this box which contained a Christmas present in 2011. It isn't ideal as I'd prefer to have them all standing upright but nevertheless it's a great box for me to separate my skincare products from others (ever so slightly...)

So trying to get things in some sort of order I will start with cleansers.
This is what I am currently using;

Origins Checks and Balances, a lovely minty foamy face wash which is one of those that gives your skin a deep clean and leaves it with that 'tight feeling', sometimes I love this feeling and others I don't so it's nice to have options. This is where...

Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish comes in, a creamy cleanser applied to dry skin that miraculously removes all types of make up so easily. It feels great on my skin and did so when I had oily skin and now with my dry/combination skin and we are both fans of this cleanser.

Having used these two primarily for the past few months I'm pretty happy with how they work for my skin. However on those nights when I come in quite late (4am is getting to be quite a regular time for me!) it's a little bit too loud to start running hot water and splash around in the bathroom waking everyone up.

For this reason I picked up La Roche Posay's Toleraine Gel Dermo Cleanser which you just rub into your skin and then remove either with a muslin cloth or wet wipe, which is what I use at 4am. It isn't ideal I would agree as I'd prefer hot water but definitely better than just the wet wipe as this removes every trace of make up even mascara and lipstick!
I am yet to post about this but so far I'm loving it especially as it's so easy and fuss free.

The Clarins eye make up remover was given to both myself and M just before Christmas at a Pharmacy event in Cardiff. I'd been using micellar water before that but this make up remover is great, requires minimal 'scrubbing', doesn't sting my eyes and gets rid of all traces.

Next up is Exfoliators:

These are without a doubt some of my favourite products to come out of my 'Skincare Epiphany'.

Origin's Modern Friction is well renowned for being good but I just adore how quick the results are from using it and although it's expensive, even with a use of 2/3 times a week this huge tube has lasted me months.
I'm about half way through and have had it well over 8 months, would 100% recommend.

Murad's AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser is something we posted about recently and I truly believe this will be staying in my weekly routine for a long time to come. Not only because this huge bottle will also last you a while but because the effects are again pretty quick and show up after 4/5 uses which is great considering it feels like a normal cleanser.
The acids and tiny tiny jojoba beads (which feel like a powder!) definitely have a positive effect on my skin sloughing off cells and revealing a glow. Basically.....buy it!

Origins have also brought out Brighter By Nature which I got as a GWP (Gift with Purchase) before Christmas time. These pads are filled with enzymes and fruit acids and just require a swipe over the face for them to work their magic. These feel great and are definitely a less abrasive way to exfoliate your skin on days where a scrub just isn't what you're looking for.


A definite new addition to my weekly routine are masks:

As you can see I have an array, and what is quite clearly becoming an obsession with Origins, yikes! so from L-R...

Drink Up Intensive - another GWP and still going strong, this is the intensive overnight version of the other Drink Up mask coming up. This was the first hydrating mask I'd ever used and even on my then oily skin, was absolutely amazing and didn't break me out.
The next three; Clear Improvement, Out of Trouble and Drink Up were all bought together in a set after using up my first Out of Trouble mask. I absolutely love it for getting rid of blemishes and reducing spot size! 100% recommendation from me.
Clear Improvement and Drink up are both great for when my skin is in need of them, the charcoal definitely helps to reduce pore size and the Drink up is great for when my skin feels dry but is breaking out and too much hydration might overbalance my skin,

REN's Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask really does do what it says on the tin (tube?), it smells like oranges, feels like orange juice and marmalade whizzed together and takes me to a happy summery place as well as making my skin look renewed.

Eye products:

Having never used an eye cream before this blog my collection is certainly increasing!

Starting with Origins Eye Doctor: I picked this up due to my severely dry eyes and sore skin due to rubbing my eyes. I've still got no idea what has happened to make my body so depleted in hydration regarding my skin and eyes and lips, but this was my first eye cream which I chose due to it's lack of any kind of chemicals at all. It's so hydrating and as I was so worried at the time about a reaction, it's the perfect comfort blanket for me to go back to.
The same with the No Puffery eye gel, it's so soothing and helps my eyes relax after a long day at work. This and Eye Doctor combined helped to reduce my dry eye effects and eliminate the lines I was getting around my eyes, presumably from dehydration.

Ginzing was next on my list when I felt more comfortable and I love it's reflecting properties for day wear when i have massive bags under my eyes.

Starting Over is a recent addition as it was on sale and I couldn't resist picking it up to rid myself of potential crows feet! It's thicker than the Eye Doctor cream and I will be writing about it soon.

Eysilix was picked up in a 3 for 2 deal a few weeks ago so is what I am currently trialling. I like the small nozzle and how it allows a small amount out each time, but I'm not sure if my eyes like the cream as i think they sting sometimes after use. Will have to investigate this!

Serums and oils:

Clearly my anti-aging and anti-blemish tendencies are running away with me here!

Both Antipodes and Clarins oils I have written before and I am in complete love with them both and they transformed my opinions on oils for oily skin.

Aesop's Parsley seed Serum is something I have been using recently and am interested in how it will affect my skin. I've heard rave reviews!

The Make a Difference Serum is absolutely gorgeous. Sinks in like a dream and I'm completely gutted to find out that it was only available at Christmas time exclusively from Selfridges. Heart broken!

Pepta Bright and Hydraluron were the other 2 items I picked up in my 3 for 2 deal with Eysilix (Indeed Labs got me good!). Hydraluron is a great extra step for adding in more hydration as it sinks in easily and doesn't clog your pores but my skin feels a lot more hydrated.
Pepta Bright has definitely had a brightening effect on my skin and I'm pretty sure has also helped to reduce the size and colour of the scars on my face but shhhhhhhhhh let's not say that too loudly as it might stop working! Posts on all of the Indeed Labs products will be up in the future when I feel like I've tested them properly.

Lastly onto moisturisers and other bits:

My first and only product from Apivita is this gorgeous organic lip balm with honey which has been a saviour in keeping my dry lips from worsening. It's been a god send in work as it's not a pot and really moisturises.

I'm sure everyone on the planet has heard of Effaclar Duo and I am one of them having picked it up a few weeks ago during a mass break out on my skin. It works a treat on drying up the white heads but on my bigger spots it only helped to reduce redness and size, not eliminate it completely. It works great but it isn't a miracle worker so don't expect it to remove all traces of a zit!

Normaderm is one of my favourite day moisturisers as it sinks in so easily and doesn't add to the oil on your skin. It prevents breakouts and helps combat scars and all other blemishes and it just works. This was a god send when I had oily skin and I still use it now, get it! You won't regret it.

Perfect World was a freebie from Origins when you took in an empty bottle of moisturiser and its taken me a while to warm up to it. Initially confined to the bottom of the pile it's now a firm favourite with my dry skin especially for day time due to it's SPF 25. Really loving this now!

Make a Difference is something I posted about fairly recently and am still raving about. The rejuvenating treatment glides onto skin and your skin drinks it up in seconds. It's helped to reduce scarring, even out blemishes and skin tone generally and hydrated my skin without overdoing it. Love.


This has been a gargantuan post and if you got bored I'm rather sorry, I had no idea there was quite that much to write about.
I have learnt a few things:

a) I'm obsessed with Origins

b) I need to condense my skincare down. Nobody needs this much on a daily/weekly basis!

c) Skincare is expensive but worth every penny, you only get one face which everyone sees every day, spending £30 on one skincare item lasting 6 months is much better value for money than £60 on shoes you'll wear once!


Have you written up your Skincare Wardrobe?? Do you have as much as me?? What are your favourite products and brands?

L xxx