Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation

This is one foundation I've been wanting to try for ages. Due to having oily skin I didn't think it would suit my skin type even though it had received positive reviews from people with all different skin types. This was another of the prizes I won from Bourjois. I was so lucky and winning this prize has definitely made me want to try more Boujois products as I've loved all I've tried so far.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and Foundation were both hugely popular foundation. Bourjois have now released the popular foundation as Radiance Reveal Healthy mix. As I've not used the others I can't comment on how it's different. 

Being someone with oily skin I usually find foundations that offer radiance too glittery or slide off my face really quickly. I found this foundation blended into my skin easily and left a flawless finish. The photo above shows no make up, just foundation and then a full face of make up. I have the shade 51 Light Vanilla.

The packaging is my favourite type. Glass bottle and a pump. I like glass bottles as I find they fill more luxurious and the pump means no messy top. 

What they say

16 hour radiance booster** Instant anti-fatigue result! Give your skin a boost of radiance with Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation with a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula for an even complexion and an instant anti-fatigue result!

Give your skin a radiance boost and leave it looking flawless for up to 16 hours! Enriched with a fruit therapy formula; Apricot for radiance, Melon for hydration and Apple to protect your youth. It also contains crystalline pigments for an even complexion and healthy glow. Soft and easy to blend.

This foundation does really brighten my skin up and it looking so healthy. The fruit extracts also mean it has a really fresh scent.

This foundation gives a healthy glow to the skin without it appearing shiny or glittery. It has a really natural finish to it. I find it lasts all day on me. By the end of the day my spots need more concealer if I was going out but I find all my foundations do this.

I love the texture of this foundation. It's light on the skin but blends well and is is still pigmented. It doesn't go cakey on the skin either.

It's good for all skin types as it contains fruit extracts for hydration if you have dry skin. It's great to have a foundation that doesn't cling to the dry spots of my skin.

I'm so impressed with this foundation and I wish I had tried it sooner. It really deserves all the positive reviews it gets.

I'll definitely be repurchasing this one.

Love M

xxx

you can pick it up for £9.99 from boots!

Review: Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean

This is a post I've been meaning to write for a while. As you'll see from the pictures my bottle is almost empty. Both L and I are huge Soap and Glory fans as you probably know and there isn't much we don't like from them. The cleanser are something we've found hit and miss. So when I saw this in last years big Soap and Glory set I took my time before I started using it.

Scent wise if you don't like peach or strong smells this definitely won't be for you. Personally I love the smell. It's fruity and creamy smelling almost. It's a thick white cream that comes in a pump dispenser which is my favourite type. The packaging is as expected for Soap and Glory product with it's traditional colours. I love soap and glory packaging and I always like that it clearly stated what you can expect from the product.

As the bottle shoes it claims to smooth skin with fruit acids, soften skin with Jojoba Oil and Quillaja Bark. purify and deep clean and shrink pores. That's a lot for a cleanser to offer!! I absolutely love the texture of this. It glides on, sinks into the skin and doesn't cause any irritation. It easily removes make up too. My skin is left feeling soft and smooth without feeling tight or that squeaky clean feeling that soap can leave.

As for purify and deep clean, my skin is much better when I use this. It doesn't break me out and helps for if I'm having a break out. As pore shrinking I'm not too sure about that. I don't think anything works for that really.

Peaches and Clean does say on the back in the evening (I use it for mornings too). It's easy to use massage it into the skin focusing on the T Zone and spots more with the massage and rinse off.

As Peaches and Clean contains AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) if used in the morning you do need to make sure you have a moisturiser with SPF in. AHAs are great for exfolitating dead skin away gently without uses rough scrubs.

Peaches and Clean will definitely be a repurchase for me. Have you tried it?

Love M

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

Review: Smashbox Powder

Happy Saturday!!

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend so far!

I'm a big fan of powder, I use it in the morning to set my make up and throughout the day to stop my face looking too shiny.
This normally means I use quite a lot of it and so it's good to have one to carry around in my hand bag as well as at home.

Cue this little beauty from Smashbox.

This is their Photo Set Pressed Powder compact, which I picked up in Light.

I got mine from Cosmetics Company Outlet (I swear it steals all my money) so it was a little discounted but I believe it retails for £19. It comes in 5 colours with Light being the 2nd lightest, there is actually a Fair which is lighter which is definitely good news.
Light is a great colour for me but I can imagine over winter I might possibly need Fair when my skin hasn't been in the sun.

I love the neat black packaging, it's perfect for throwing in my bag and its small enough but strong enough too. The only downside is the black colour meaning it would get lost in my bag but I'm used to that already!
I'd prefer it to look good, which this one does. 

Inside the palette is the powder on the left, a large mirror and a sponge.

The sponge might be my favourite part, it's actually leather backed and is beautiful!
After I've finished the compact I fully plan on keeping the sponge as it's great quality and will hopefully last a while.

The powder feels silky soft on your skin and although I apply it with a massive powder brush (Real Techniques) in the morning for speed and even coverage, the sponge applicator is great for on the go moments and applying to troublesome spots where more coverage is necessary.

This lasts pretty well on the face and if you have dry skin would definitely last you the day. I do need to repowder my tzone around lunch time but that's because I'm picky and don't like my face to keep progressing over the afternoon to look like an oil slick at tea time, but each to their own!

You can see in the photos below that my face (awkward photos, always find them complicated!) doesn't look shiny at all and in the close up below it doesn't look cakey at all but has been mattified by the powder.

Having never used a Smashbox powder before I can say I am a firm fan, I'd buy this again and will be looking after the sponge ;)

L xxx

Don't forget to check out our giveaway here

Antipodes: Divine Face Oil

This post has been a looooooooooooooong time coming.

I have been a huge fan of this face oil ever since receiving it in the Selfridge's Beauty Box last year.
I have raved about this to anyone who would listen to me but for some reason felt that writing my post on it would just be lost in a load of others all saying the same things so I didn't type up anything.

But I'm still in love with it and want to add my voice to the mix!

Antipodes are a really cool brand, all the way from New Zealand using natural and organic ingredients to make super sonic products with a multitude of benefits.
Now sold in 9 countries around the world the company only started in 2006 which is amazing to have got this far and just shows what reliable brand it is.

Divine Face Oil contains organic avocado oil and rosehip which scientifically stimulates synthesis of collagen production in human skin cells by up to 51%.
It's packed with antioxidants and essential nutrient rich oils which smell of jasmine and sweet orange.

It has so many benefits to skin it's almost unbelievable. You can read them on the back of the box in the picture above but essentially it's anti aging, hydrating, rejuvenating and absorbs UV light from the sun to protect skin.
Sounds like a miracle oil!

I apply a few drops of this to cleansed skin morning and evening when my skin is feeling a little dry and dehydrated (which is most of the time lately!)
You rub in the oil in upward motions and pay special attention to spots, scars and any other blemishes including lines.
This to me was really weird, at the time I hadn't ever used oils on my face and was so worried about my skin breaking out etc but I really had nothing to worry about!

The dropper is my favourite part of the product because it reminds me of old medicines and being a scientist I automatically am drawn to glassware and it can't get much better than when it contains organic skincare too!
It's so easy to use and control the drops and the oil sinks into your skin so quickly.

One of the best things about this oil?? It's only £19.50! This is a bargain considering the effects and it's lasted me almost a year and I'm still not close to finishing it.

The oil is suitable for most skin conditions but particularly useful for dry and combination skin.

I've found it brilliant at hydrating my dry patches, and I feel it's cleared up so many of my blemishes and scars as the red spots on my face are fading pretty well.
The biggest factor about this oil is that it hasn't made my oily t-zone any oilier than it normally would be which has been perfect and something I was really worried about.

I'd fully recommend this to anyone and cannot wait to get my hands on some other Antipodes products.
I've heard absolutely loads about their Aura face mask containing Manuka Honey (one of my favourite New Zealand products from my family living there!) and the Juliet Skin Brightening Gel Cleanser.

Hopefully this combination of products will get my skin to behave itself.
Dealing with an oily t-zone and then dehydrated skin on the rest of my face with scars is really getting to be hard work!

What have you tried from Antipodes? Do you love organic and natural skincare?

L xxx

Review: Skinetica (Part 2)

Hi all!

This post follows on from my previous post where I showed you all my horrible spotty skin and wrote about the product that was sent to me to try out, Skinetica*.
If you need any details on the product I have previously detailed them all in that post so take a look before reading this one!

You can read it here.

As you can probably tell from how I left that post, the results I have had since using Skinetica have been really positive.
I had had no luck whatsoever with other blemish fighting products that I've used in the past nor tested recently so this was a massive deal for me, especially as I had graduation the week before Christmas and didn't want my skin to look awful nor did I want to look caked in make up!

Sooo. I'm sure what you're most interested in right now is the results!

1 Week:
So after 1 week of using Skinetica the red lumps/cysts had reduced in size and in number.
They weren't as painful as they were and although it's still a task to cover them up, it's not as hard to do when they are smaller and less painful.

The healing time is still painfully long which seems to be why I have lots of red marks covering the majority of my face as they're taking so long to heal.
Skinetica does not help with this, but the amount of new spots and cysts I have been having has decreased.

Due to the nature of Skinetica, you can apply it and once it's dry you can still apply moisturiser and make up as required.
Because of this it meant I could go about my day as usual knowing that Skinetica was working underneath my make up and overnight whilst I slept with my night moisturiser and choice of oil to help with the scarring I was experiencing.

2 Weeks:
After 2 weeks of using Skinetica I was told that applying it without applying products afterwards would increase the effects, much like when using Alpha H Liquid Gold and other similar products.

After finding this out I did stop applying moisturiser in the evenings and noticed an improvement.
However, as my skin is slowly clearing up I am noticing that my t-zone is becoming oilier again and my cheeks/jaw line in need of moisturising so some nights I have had to compromise and apply both! But where I can I don't apply anything extra.

4 Weeks:
After 4 weeks of applying Skinetica my skin has cleared of 'active' spots and now I only have the red marks left behind to contend with.
The pictures do show a difference but as the marks/scars are still there, at a glance it might not look like much.

I can tell you though that having had the huge, painful lumps on my face decrease down to near enough nothing has meant that my skin is much easier to cover with make up and when I have it on you can barely see a thing.

The Proof:
Here are some pictures for you to compare.
I've put the same ones next to each other so you can compare the difference more easily.
The first photos are the original ones from my previous post, the second are after 2 weeks and the last photos (underneath the other 2) were taken yesterday which is after 4 weeks:

You can clearly see the difference between the first and last photos, there aren't any lumps on my face at all and all the spots have dried up.

The main thing you'll be able to notice in all photos is how much better my skin is generally, it is actually glowing which is never something I thought I'd say about my own skin!

M said as soon as she saw the pictures she noticed this which was lovely to know!!

Unfortunately a night out for New Year's Eve has brought me out in a lovely spot in the middle of my cheek, but this has already gone after using the Skinetica on the night after and only the red mark is left behind.

(If only late nights and alcohol didn't bring you out in spots!)

That is another good thing to note about Skinetica, your average white head spots often found on oily t-zones will usually dry up overnight meaning there is no need to pop them yourself!

I know the temptation can get too much and I am one of those people that loves popping them (immense satisfaction!) but the marks left behind are not worth it, plus the risk of bacteria making them worse.

Lastly this is the picture where the difference can be clearly seen and is quite miraculous!!

This area runs along my jaw line under my ear up to my hair line and was the place where most of the lumps appeared initially making them really painful as I could feel them every time I ate or talked....lush.

Now you can see that even the scars have almost healed up and gone!

To Conclude....
It has been a long and slow road to getting my skin to recover as my skin has been like this for a good 6 months now.
Although Skinetica claim that results can be seen in 2-5 days, this sadly wasn't the case for me.

However after 3/4 weeks usage morning and night my skin has improved with visible results and the number of new cysts has reduced to gaining 0 per week which is miraculous!

I for one am super impressed with the results I've had with this and have purchased myself another bottle from their website and it was so easy through paypal with super speedy postage again.
The first bottle lasted for 3/4 weeks with application morning and night.
I was so pleased with the results that I actually got my brother one to try as one of his Christmas presents ha, I'm sure he'll love me for it when the results start coming through though!


The next thing for me to tackle are the scars.

I have a choice of 2 other products which I will now be applying at night time to see if my skin will heal without any permanent marks at all and hopefully without any kind of relapse back into the cysts I was getting before.
At least I know what to use now if they ever come back!

What do you think of the results? Will you be trying Skinetica to get rid of your spots??

I am a number one fan!!

L xxx

Product Buzzword of 2012

I know a lot of people will be writing posts about their best products of 2012 and I most likely will do the same once I've had the chance to think about what mine are!

However when I was thinking of what products have featured heavily in my 2012 and also in general in the cosmetic/blogging world there was only one type of product that stood out in my mind: oil.

Image from Thrive Farm Wordpress

How many types of oil are there available??

Hair oil, face oil, body oil, shower oil.......

In particular Moroccan/Macadamia/Argan oil have taken the cosmetics world by storm and although I haven't used much of it, I have used the Macadamia hair mask and the Ojon oil and am very much a fan of both!

I have used some body oils but I'm always in a rush and am yet to find one that sinks in fast enough and does a good job.

As skincare is one of my favourite topics and aisles to browse in store, I have tried and tested a few face oils this year that has been my biggest surprise.

Starting off my year with oily skin, the last thing I would have put on my face is oil!

Once my skin changed due to stress and became drier and covered in cysts, I was forced to apply more moisturiser to combat the lack of hydration that I'd never experience before.

This included oils and now I would never be without them!

They helped clear some scars on my face, hydrated dry patches and did not in any way affect my oily t-zone! (Particularly Antipodes Divine Oil)

This for me was a revelation and I have been happy to swallow my words on adding oil to oily skin.

Do you agree that oils have been the biggest buzzword of 2012?

It makes me wonder what will be the product type of 2013...does anyone have any ideas?

I think nail art comes a close second as the biggest hype in 2012, maybe it hasn't had its day yet....or maybe products with a distinct lack of chemicals will become even more popular and product choice will increase with demand?

Who knows!

You know however, that we will all be watching! I for one cannot wait for 2013!

L xxx

Review: Alpha H Liquid Gold

I've been waiting to write this for a very long time.

I was filled with lots of hope when I got my hands on some Alpha H Liquid Gold.

I'd heard lots of things about the results and after spending so long with skin problems over the summer I couldn't resist.

I purchased it asap and followed everyone's guidelines on using it, cleansed my face and then used a cotton wool pad to apply the solution to the entire of my face before bed without applying moisturiser (just my normal eye cream and lip balm!)

I felt a slight tingle on my face sometimes, but as I expected this to happen I'm not sure if it was my imagination as initially I was worried my skin would react to it.

I have sensitive skin sometimes and as it has been a problem for the past couple of months I was worried it would make it worse.

After my first use, the very next day I saw an improvement.

My spots has shrunk, some of them looked a bit weird like they were yellowy but didn't feel pussy or painful at all and the swelling had been reduced by a huge extent.

However this effect was short lived.

As I was using it every other day, by the time it came to my next use the spots had come back, and so began a vicious cycle!

Better skin for a day before the spots returned.

The Liquid Gold did help my scarring and this was improved by the use of another product which will be in an upcoming post as I used it on the alternate days I didn't use the Liquid Gold.

I continued using it this way for a few weeks to see if it got any better but unfortunately all my spots were just the same, if not a little worse.

I decided to try using it every day for a bit to see if this had any better effect.

This luckily didn't make my skin worse as I was worried that it would dry it out or just generally burn off my skin with that much acid use!

It didn't make it any better either.

Eventually I have stopped using it as I have used almost all of the bottle without any positive effect on my blemishes and spots.

However.....

The skin that is unaffected by my spots (around my nose and forehead) seemed to have a much better look about it.

It seemed more even in tone, my pores looked smaller and there were no blemishes to speak of at all.

It also seemed to have the 'glowy' look that makes you look a lot younger and I have been trying to get back for ages!

But I think after all my best efforts that Liquid Gold may not be for me.

I would be willing to try it again when whatever seems to be unbalancing my skin has been sorted out as i think it would improve the overall look of my skin, but unfortunately for me has not solved my skin woes.

I think this may largely be down to reviews on skin care from other blogs.

I know almost all have disclaimer that obviously what works for them may not work for you and that is very true. But a lot of bloggers who review skincare have never had skin problems in the first place to know whether the products work on ridding you of blemishes, which is something that I've noticed recently having bought and tried so many products deemed to help that actually haven't at all.

So just beware, as I've spent a LOT of money trying and failing over the past few months.

I have a second part to this post as it's related to the use of glycolic acid and also 'should' feature in everyone's skin care anyway....

Don't forget to enter our Christmas Giveaway for the chance to win a £20 voucher!

L xxx

Review: Vichy Cleansing Gel

I picked this up a few months ago when there was a new deal in Boots, I think when you picked up 2 other products this came free? 

I'm not exactly sure but this normally retails at £12.50 on my last check, which as a free gift is a great deal!

I love Vichy as a brand, everyone seems to be loving French pharmacy brands as a whole and this is no exception.

I have previously raved about the Normaderm moisturiser and this is the Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel.

I've been using this as a cleanser in the mornings.

My cleanser of choice is Liz Earle but as I have so many to try and to use up I often trial these in the morning.

This cleanser has almost gone now as I've been using it for such a long time.

It's a foaming gel that you use on wet skin and rinse off (I use my muslin cloth for this).

When using this I find I have a 'squeaky clean' face afterwards and the tight feeling on your skin.

I know some people aren't fans of this feeling so thought it was worth a mention.

It's not my favourite feeling, I used to love it but as my skin is now drier I feel a cream cleanser is better for me.

This is perfect for the morning as I know my skin is clean of oil for the day and a light moisturiser will see me through the day before applying heavier creams at night.

One thing I did love was the squeezy tube.

I like to vary how much cleanser I use depending on how much make up I have on my face and it's nice to see how much you've got coming out and how much you have left. 

Also I loved that they were each sealed individually, always a plus with all the bacteria around!

If I enjoyed the squeaky clean and tight feeling on my face I would definitely buy this again, a little goes a long way and this definitely helped keep my skin oil free.

What Vichy products are your favourites? Do you like the Normaderm range?

L xxx

Review: Mac Studio Fix Fluid

I've been using this foundation for a little while now.

It was something else I picked up in America for cheaper than here in the UK.

The woman in Macy's was very nice and loved my accent so was very happy to colour match me and I picked up NW20, which by the way, is me with a tan.

Lovely!

First of all, having only bought Pro Longwear and various compacts (Studio Tech, Studio Fix and Pressed Powder) before I had no idea that the bottle wouldn't come with its own pump.

Naive you might think, but I genuinely never thought about it so obviously picked one of those up too.

I love simple packaging so Mac always hit the nail on the head for me.

A glass bottle always makes a product feel luxurious too, and as brands such as Rimmel also use them now it's almost expected.

I love how clean the bottles and pump look when they've never been used! Such a pretty photo.

(Is this the addict in me talking do you think?!)

As far as the coverage goes, I love it.

Full coverage, with a semi-matte finish this does last for a decent amount of time.

I'd say that it lasts an 8 hour day with a good primer and powder, though I think it could last longer.

I don't seem to have found the best combination yet of primer/foundation/powder for the longest lasting face.

The Studio Fix Fluid is also buildable so you can cover problem areas more effectively if you need to.

Here's some of my face with Studio Fix Fluid on:

I really like this....but I have an issue with the smell.

It's hard to describe but I just can't stand it, I was worried initially that mine was gone off or something even though I'd bought it from a reputable department store!

Ah well. 

I should also add that I'm quite lucky, I genuinely am an NW20 year round, as even though my tan has faded this foundation is still the correct colour....yay for being so pale!

Have you tried Studio Fix Fluid? What Mac foundation is your favourite?

I'd love to buy more of their foundations so let me know which one is your favourite and why!

L xxx

Review: Origins Zero Oil Moisturise Lotion

On one of my recent Origins splurges I picked up the Zero Oil moisture lotion as my skin is generally quite oily and I'm always trying to beat the shine.

However my skin being the fickle thing that it is decided to dry out so although I have started using it on my whole face, I now only use it on my T-zone as everywhere else needs a little more hydration.

First off as its oil free its a great moisturiser for those who want to beat the shine and it moisturises without leaving any excess on the skin and quite frankly it disappears!

It also leaves quite a nice base as it mattifies the skin too.

As you can see on the packaging it has Saw Palmetto and Mint which gives it a really nice clean smell and makes you believe that it won't be breaking you out, which it doesn't. 

I also love that its non pore blocking (non-comedogenic) and non-acnegenic so you're almost guaranteed to see great results if you purchase and use this moisturiser on your oily skin.

My skin on my t-zone definitely feel hydrated enough when I use this and I love that in the morning it gives you a matt effect which helps with oiliness for a good few hours for sure.

Unfortunately for me my skin has done a complete 360 on me at the moment and is currently in need of extra moisturisation which is totally unlike it so I've got myself a sample of the Make a Difference treatment (oil free though!) to see if it helps.

The ladies are always lovely on the Origins counters I've been to and are so helpful and always give out a sample of the product you are lusting after if you're not sure about buying it.

I always find it a pleasure to go back which is obviously what they want, but it never feels like they're trying to take your money which other counters should take note of!

I will be continuing to use this as I have for the past few weeks as it works perfectly on my T-zone and I have to admit that maybe my pores are even shrinking which would be an epic bonus!

Look out for tomorrows post with another of my Origins purchases which is a HG product for some people, including me!

Do you have a favourite Origins product? Have you bought any recently or are lusting after anything in particular?

I'm an Origins junkie for sure!

L xxx

And don't forget our giveaway, 1 week left to enter :)

Review: Mac Studio Care Blend Pressed Powder

This is one of my favourite products to use and I don't know why I haven't posted about it before.

I buy lots of powders to keep my T-zone shine free during the day and for touch ups.

I've been through a lot of them, and some are ok, but nothing works like this beauty!

I use the Medium colour which shocked me, as I'm very pale and am usual an NW20 in foundations from Mac.

I think the Light colour would probably wash me out as it is the right colour, just didn't expect it!

As always I love the sleek black packaging. It makes them easy to throw in your bag, it just annoys me how easily they scratch and tarnish as I love how they look when they're shiny!

This comes with a mirror and sponge as you would expect so it really is perfect for touch ups on the go

It doesn't last me the entire day when I apply it in the morning, though I expect this is more likely to be down to the primer and foundation I use as I'm trying to use up other brands at the moment that aren't quite as reliable as Mac.

This powder is amazing in my opinion, though I would much rather it be at a lower price obviously!

It does hit pan quite quickly when you use it every morning and also for touch ups throughout the day and the £20 price tag for 10g is a little steep.

However you get what you pay for, and with Mac you always know where you are!

What powder do you use to keep your make up set for the day?

I have a few others that I might do a post on soon to try and encourage me to use them up!

L xxx

We're still running our giveaway for one of the Selfridge's Beauty Boxes that sold like hot cakes, find it here to enter!