Vichy Normaderm Pro Mat

Hi all!

Today I'm going to waffle on about another Vichy product. I'm a bit of a fan of theirs and am yet to dislike a product that I've bought from them, they always seem to deliver and my skin does seem to appreciate it.

I picked this up quite a while ago, but when my skin went from being oily to dehydrated and sensitive to almost everything it was placed in a drawer and forgotten about.

I've recently found it and now that my skin is back in some kind of order, it's made its way back into my daily regime.

Vichy's Normaderm range is very popular for those with imperfection and acne prone skin and fights the 6 main signs; blemishes, pores, shine, oily skin, marks and uneven complexion.

I've previously raved about their Normaderm day and night moisturisers and this was a product I snapped up because of that.

Their Nomaderm Pro Mat is for 'Non Stop Matte Effect Hydrating Care'.

Initially I was confused what on earth this was.
Is it a moisturiser? Is it a serum? A spot cream?

It's actually more of a primer.

I apply this after my moisturiser has sunk in and before make up, it's actually replaced my primer for the time being as I wanted to test its effects.
I apply this just like moisturiser to my entire face and my face has definitely been less shiny and oily and therefore my make up has stayed on longer than with some primers I've tried in the past.

On the back of my hand you can see that it's a weird green kind of colour but this doesn't show on the face at all, and if anything would probably help with colour correction!

And then it disappears to nothing leaving only a slight sheen where the product is on my skin.

Having lost the box I've done a quick search to get the facts for you. From their American site I can tell you that this is oil free and also contains SPF15 which is great.
However I cannot find it on UK sites which is odd as I definitely bought it in Boots in the UK! There is a similar product called Total Mat which I'm wondering if it is the same thing just marketed differently.

Anyway, if you're looking for a primer/moisturiser type product then I would definitely recommend this. It has hydrated my skin whilst keeping oil under control and prolonging my make up from sliding down my face....winner.
I've also been using this daily for a couple of weeks and still have plenty left in the tube, the thin nozzle allows you to control exactly how much product you want to come out and this way there is minimal waste!


Have you tried this product before? Have you tried Total Mat and noticed if its the same?

It's really frustrating when they do this as I would possibly like to repurchase and aren't sure if i would get the same effects!

L xxx

   

Lacura Aqua Complete Skin Serum

Hello! 

Hope you're having a great day so far :)

I've got a bargain skincare product for you today which has made its way into my daily regime.

Lacura are a brand sold in Aldi stores. I've been a fan of their under eye concealer for a while but haven't been able to find it recently.

On an evening trip to get some food I saw this Aqua Complete Skin Serum for a bargain £3.49

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

Skinetica Part 1

If you're a regular reader of our blog you'll know that I've been stressing out about my skin problems for a good few months now.

I have never had perfect skin as I've suffered with the monthly break outs and the occasional few extras due to nights out, bad food etc. but it hasn't ever really been that bad either.

After spending a few weeks in the sun in America in May/June my skin was as good as it's ever been.

Largely due to an active outdoors kind of lifestyle with lots of water, no make up and a hell of a lot of showering (I spent lots of time digging in mud!)

This was at the airport on the way back where I am completely make up free (maybe mascara but that's it!) and although the photo isn't the best you can clearly see that I have almost no blemishes whatsoever.

Ever since I got back my skin has gone downhill to the point where I can officially say that I have acne, most probably caused by stress according to skin consultants.

Having never suffered this badly with it I've struggled to find products to deal with the outbreaks and with the scarring.

Alpha H Liquid Gold was great for helping with the monthly outbreaks that I get and helped the rest of my skin which is unaffected look more luminous and even in tone, however it didn't help to stop the outbreaks.

I've used face oils from Antipodes which have helped with the scarring (thank god!!) and also the monthly outbreaks, but again, not the cysts appearing along my jawline and cheeks.

Lastly I've been using face masks from Origins including the Out of Trouble mask and Clear Improvement, both of which have helped minimise the outbreaks but nothing seems to go to the root of the problem.

After 5 months of trying nothing and hoping it will go away, to slowly changing everything from cleansers to masks to moisturisers to oils, and assessing some other lifestyle issues such as stress, diet etc there was nothing else I could do.

Or so I thought.

The lovely Georgina from MakeUp-Pixi3 got in touch with me about a company who had a product that could help and so obviously I said yes.

I had my reservations that anything could help at this point, but I was prepared to give it a go.

So now it's time for me to show you my skin.....this was the hardest thing to take pictures of my skin and post them up so I hope you'll understand for me this was terrifying. (And sorry for my horrible skin)

You can clearly see how horrible, red and sore my skin and spots are all over my cheeks and jaw line.

The most painful ones being the 2 pictures side by side which were taken a few days apart and show minimal difference in healing time.

I've cried over it so many times you wouldn't believe.

I love putting on make up every day but trowelling it on in order to cover it up (like in the photo below) wasn't what I meant:

THANK GOD FOR MAKE UP. 

Luckily for me my forehead and nose area have been unaffected as of yet and so a combination of using make up and keeping my hair down to cover the sides of my face masks it for the most part.

Hopefully after those pictures you're still with me.

After a few emails with the contact from Georgina, 1 day later I received a package in the post containing a bottle of product.

You may recognise this if you've ever received Glossy Box, as it was a recent product in the November box (I think?).

It is of course Skinetica*:

Previously known as Acnigon, their website claims: 

A unique new solution that clears unsightly breakouts with visible improvements in 2-3 days.

• No harsh chemicals
• No side effects
• Kind to skin
• Dermatologically tested
• Non Toxic, non staining, non greasy
• Purchase online - order yours here

As you'll know, were big fans of minimal usage of harsh chemicals and environmentally friendly ones are even better.

Obviously, having these and also the desired effects is the icing on the cake so as long as it works this sounds like a pretty promising bottle of joy!

It was really simply to use, just apply to clean dry skin with a cotton wool pad and allow to dry.

After this you can apply moisturiser and make up as normal.

I was worried in case any of my moisturisers or oils reacted with the Skinetica solution but actually it didn't.

Not with my hydrating moisturisers or with oil reducing day ones, nor oils made with natural products.

Another bonus point!

If you include this as part of your every day skin care routine it's super easy to use.

The only thing that bugged me a little was the inclusion of fragrance in the ingredients.

I didn't notice any particular smell from the solution which made me wonder why it was there in the first place.

If it doesn't make a difference it doesn't need to be there!

The price is also great. At £6.99 for 100ml (£9.99 incl P and P) this product falls into the cheaper end of the market. Particularly as the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

6 bottles are just under £38, which means they come in less than £5.85 with postage deducted.

So I've decided to reveal the results in an upcoming post.
My babble has reached a ridiculous length in this one post and I wanted to fully show the results after 1/2/3 weeks of use of Skinetica.

I will tell you now though....it is a positive review!

Have you used Skinetica? What were your results?

Check back next week for my results post!

L xxx

Review: Avene Eau Thermale Mineral Cream SPF 50

Following on from yesterday's post, this is another product I picked up at the same time as the Liquid Gold. 

I've heard (obviously) many times about wearing SPF to prevent skin from aging and protect it from UV rays etc and I completely agree especially after the fabulous Joan Collins has amazing skin, apparently down to no skin exposure to the sun since she was 16.

With that and the fact that using products such as Liquid Gold containing glycolic acid I was adamant I needed to pick up a separate SPF just for face with a high factor but that could be used on my currently sensitive and unpredictable skin.
It used to be oily and nowadays it leans more to the dry side...confusing!

With all my skin woes in mind I headed to Boots to pick up a facial SPF from a skincare brand I knew I shouldn't react to, and so I picked up this one from Avene.
I wasn't bothered if it was from Vichy, La Roche Posay etc as long as it was a well respected brand catering to skins needs.

So I added this to my skin care routine without any negative effects to my skin whatsoever.
This was a HUGE relief to me and I would be happy to keep this in my routine forever more because of this!

You can see in the photo below the colour and consistency of the cream.
It's a pinky colour and quite thick, when rubbed into the face this does take a bit of effort to blend as it turns white on application.
The white can make you look a little pale but does match your skin tone after a few minutes.
I do wonder though, I'm very pale and can have trouble looking a bit ill and washed out after using it, so if anyone with a darker skin colour used this would it rub in and blend any easier?

If you've used it I would love to know what you think!




On a pale day this blends in easily enough and could give me the option of just wearing the SPF without make up as it does somewhat cover up some blemishes.
If you only had a few this would be perfect!
However I have a few more and so need to apply make up still, but this does create a nice base to apply make up on.

I believe this was a good addition to my skin care regime, it's had no negative effects and as my moisturiser has either a low SPF or none at all this is the perfect way of ensuring I'm protected from the pesky UV rays that are there even though there's no sun!

What do you think of using an SPF? Do you wear it every day? What number do you use?

I chose 50 as it was the only one there, I might have chosen 30 if it was there though!

L xxx

Don't forget our Christmas Giveaway!

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: Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer Combination Oily to Oily Skin and Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer Combination Oily to Oily Skin

Hey all. 

Today I bring you my first indulge in expensive skincare. With skincare I like to use the products for a good month or two at least before reviewing. I'm now addicted to Clinique and here are my thoughts on some of it.

So a few months back now I decided it was time to try a more premium brand skin care for my day and night cream. I'm only 23 but I've always been told prevention is easier than cure. A motto I like to live by. So I decided to look for day and night creams, aimed specifically at oily skin types that will still help combat the first signs of ageing.

I hadn't looked at reviews of products online and decided to stroll into boots and see what counter hit my eye, the scientist in me was draw to Clinique with the white coats reminding me of lab coats and there clean looking display. As I walked up to the beauty counter it was one of those days I need a lot of help and advise and a good chat with an assistant. Unfortunately she decided to ignore me. Nice eh? When you need them they don't bother. I decided to try House of Fraser as by this point I was set on Clinique. As I strolled in she finished serving and then had a chat with me about what I was hoping to get from my skincare and what my problems were and the main ones I wanted to target.

Nice free gift bag

 My free gifts. How generous are Clinique!! Lots for me to test out 

 One of the things I loved the most about Clinique is you can buy most of their products for different skincare. I was told I was a 3 and could use products aimed at 3 or 4. I was recommended the superdefense SPF 25 age defense moisturiser for combination oily to oily skin. It comes with a slightly eye watering price tag of £37. But as L once said to me if you'll spend it on a dress or bag why not on skincare. So I splurge and as they were offering a bag of goodies if you bought two items I picked up the night cream to which is the super rescue antioxidant night moisturiser again for combination oily to oily which is £35.

Both products are paraben free, allergy tested and 100% fragrance free. Great for if your skin is a little more sensitive. Something both L and I try to look out for. The day cream is gorgeous. A light product that just sinks into your skin and leaves it well moisturised without feeling greasy or tight. I find some products for oily skin leaves my skin feeling so tight it's uncomfortable. For the price you get a reasonable 50ml. I've been using mine most days now for 3 months and I'm probably 2/3 through the pot. I try to use only what's needed and make this product last. It also contains a healthy SPF 25 so great for protecting the skin from the sun and hopefully preventing even more wrinkles.

As you can see it's a good consistency and blends into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. I've been so impressed with this product. I've had no product related breakouts. Which is always a worry with my skin type and my skin is left feeling moisturised and healthy.

I love the night cream just as much. These two work together so well and I'm so pleased I splurged out on them. They are so worth it. This is again 50ml but I feel I'm using it quicker. One thing I don't like about the night cream is that it's in a tube. I prefer a pot so I can get out just the amount I need easily and I can see how much I have left. I feel like this may run out before the day cream which will bug me as I like them to run out at the same time. 

The night cream is a slightly thicker consistency but still sinks into the skin well without leaving the skin feeling oily or coated in product. I can't say how well they work on wrinkles really as the few fine lines I have do appear a little reduced but I'm hoping this will more be protecting my skin against further.

Even though these products are more than I would normally spend on day and night creams I'm completely converted and would repurchase without a doubt. They have lasted a while so isn't as expensive as it first seems.

I would wait to repurchase till there are good freebies though as Clinique are generous with their free gifts and you get a lot of products to try. I especially loved the eye cream and the serum I got in the free gifts and I am considering purchases those along with a foundation. I've heard so many great things about Clinique lately I can't wait to try more products.

The lady in House of Fraser was lovely and as I had a delay at the till was kind enough to give me all these samples along with my free gift.

Successful first trip to Clinique I think. I'm still working my way through the samples and I'm loving some and will purchase some not so much like the eye make up remover. You can find my thoughts on that here.

Have you tried Clinique products? Any recommendations?

Love M

Don't forget our giveaway. Some great skincare products in there! 

Skin Care Regime

I've seen a lot of posts recently about skin care and have invested in a lot of products recently, particularly from Origins and some French pharmacy brands.

I don't think I've ever done a post on my usual skin care so here's my general day to day products that I could not live without! 

(It's rather a long post so I'd grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable, there's lots of photos though!)

First up is the cleanser....the one and only Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.

I'd obviously heard rave reviews from everyone but had never invested until it came free with Red magazine a fair few months ago.

Needless to say I fell in love completely, my skin looked and felt so much better and because I was previously only using face wipes the difference was amazing!

This has definitely become a must have product in my collection and I'll probably never be without it.

I still have some other cleansers that I'm using up, particularly one from Neutrogena.

This is the 3 in 1 Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Cleanser Scrub and Mask in One.

I believe Hayden Panettiere is in the advert for it?

I bought this when my Liz Earle ran out and I was penniless, and the Visibly Clear range was on 2 for £5 offer, which is amazing considering their normal price is around the £4.80 mark.

This obviously wasn't the same as the Liz Earle, but my skin has been so bad recently that I needed something more directed towards my spots and I have to say I was quite impressed.

The cleanser did work really well and all of my little spots and blackheads cleared right up and my T-zone was looking pretty good!

I also like that you can leave it on for a while as a mask which really feels like a deep clean for your skin.

This was great for when my skin was breaking out all over and if it happens again I would happily repurchase.

I was also sent 2 Actives from Etat Pur to try, after my previous experience with one of their Actives.

I had used their Zinc Glycolate (A20 which helps to restrict sebum secretion and to eliminate spots) and hadn't had a great response from using it. Initially it worked great but after 4/5 weeks I broke out and nothing would make them go away!

Their PR department noticed my reaction via twitter and kindly sent me another of the A20* to be used in conjunction with the Salicylic Acid 300mg (A22*) which when combined enhance each others activity and help get faster results.

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and I would definitely have to agree that combined they produce a much faster response in regards to oiliness and helping to clear skin of blackheads and little spots.

My skin is very clear thanks to the combination of the Liz Earle cleanser and using these two products.

Unfortunately for me, I keep breaking out in larger spots along my jawline which can't have anything to do with oiliness as my skin isn't oily in these areas, just normal which is a huge shame as everywhere else where I am used to having spots is so clear!

Just my luck really! If you have any product ideas that might get rid of these please let me know as I really can't think what else to do!

My normal moisturiser for daily use is Vichy's Normaderm.

I bought this on a whim a few months ago and absolutely love it, it's not too expensive and Vichy seem to have some great offers on.

Their Normaderm range is quite popular and I can definitely understand why.

My full review is here and I bought this product in April. Considering that I have been using it twice a day since then that's a massive bargain as I've had probably around 5 months usage out of that one bottle.

I have of course used others on random occasions but for the most part this has been my moisturiser of choice.

I have a new Origins one that I bought recently and am desperate to try out but I would definitely repurchase the Normaderm moisturiser for the effects and the value!

As for a mask I have a few newbies in my collection including the Origins 10 minutes Out of Trouble mask.

The mask is a gorgeous thick white cream that you apply to the face and then wash off after 10 minutes.

It is so thick it feels really luxurious but isn't too thick to spread, it stays exactly where you put it which is great.

It also tingles on the skin but only ever so slightly, and has a cooling effect which I love.

It makes my skin feel great afterwards and was worth every penny!

I have also been given a sample of the Origins Charcoal Mask which I'm really looking forward to trying.

Lastly two of my favourite products to use....my eye creams!

I never used to use an eye cream until around March, when I bought Origins Eye Doctor (review here) as my eyes have become really sensitive.

But this was a perfect buy along with the Origins No Puffery eye gel (here) and it has really helped my eyes become less sensitive though they still don't like my contact lenses!

Needless to say having not used an eye cream before the skin around my eyes has improved dramatically and the fine lines I had have miraculously disappeared which was a massive bonus! 

I also was given a sample of their famous GinZing eye cream which I went on to buy in the full size as I loved it so much. So I used GinZing in the mornings to hide any bags and Eye Doctor and No Puffery at night and this seems to be combating my eye worries for now.

So there you have it! A rather expensive skin care regime to keep up with particularly as I don't have a job....but I'm a firm believer that skin care is a priority as you only get one of them so you'd better look after it!

When I get the odd spot I also have been using Sudocrem

This is so cheap and an absolute must for anyone, it's great for spots, dry skin and irritation and it's been great for the odd one that has appeared on my T-zone.

The only things I can see missing from my regime really is an SPF and a serum. I will have to look out for an SPF that's easy to incorporate in the morning and a serum would be great for helping to keep wrinkles at bay.

What do you have in your regime? Do you have any suggestions for my spot worries?

L xxx

This was my recent Origins haul and I'm so excited to start using them but I'm determined I'm going to finish up the old products first! 

Beauty Rehab post coming up tomorrow to show you how much I've been using up :)

 

* = PR Samples