Skincare

Spring 2015 Skin Heroes

April 25, 2015

Now that we’ve had some glorious sunshine at least two weeks in a row and I’ve woken up naturally at 7am every morning thanks to the glorious early sun I feel I can finally say that we are truly in Spring. With that, it’s time to take a peek at some of the all important skin heroes that have been helping me nourish my dried out winter skin

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser – Original

Yes I know I’m a little late to the game with this one, but I’ve had about four samples stashed in my cupboard and started using this just after Christmas when my skin was in appalling condition. When I first saw people raving about this, I thought it was just another fad and people were only in it for the branding. My how wrong was I, and a little annoyed that I hadn’t bust this out of my stash sooner! What an absolute delight to use, honestly. It’s a non greasy facial cleanser that is simply massaged into the skin and then wiped away with a hand hot Muslin cloth or flannel which works just as well. Not only was it gentle on my skin, but it left it feeling hydrated as well so I didn’t have the mad rush from bathroom to bedroom to lather my face in moisturiser before it started to crack and rebel. After about a week of using this, I then began using it a few times a week to try and prolongue it’s use and after going having a bit of a reaction to some other thing’s I was trying, this was wonderful for soothing my sore skin. It also worked wonder’s the day after a gig day, having spent half the day in heavy stage makeup, when I used this the next morning my skin felt as though it could breathe easily and didn’t feel as clogged as it usually does, despite the hours spent the night before removing my makeup.

Be warned however girlies, this product does contain beeswax, therefore it is not suitable for Vegan’s. I’ll be on the hunt for some Vegan alternatives though.

Repurchase: I’d love to if they had an alternate version that didn’t contain beeswax

RRP: Prices start from £6.00

Where can I buy this? Direct from the UK Liz Earle Website

Sanctuary Spa Resurface & Refine Polish

Gemma actually recommended this to me and I can’t remember where I got this sample from, possibly love me beauty but I don’t know. Anyway, this has been my once to twice weekly treat and I’ve loved using it. It’s abrasive enough to make my skin feel fresh and clean, but not so harsh that I end up with a red blotchy face.

Repurchase: Definitely! This is on my shopping list when I’ve run out of my current face wash.

RRP: This retails at around £8-12

Where can I buy this? Debenhams currently stock this for £8.40 for 200ml.

Boots No7 Beautyful Skin Day & Night Cream for Dry/Very Dry Skin

I bought this day cream on whim last year as I wanted to try a new moisturiser that was for dry skin and thicker than my current one. I also needed it to have an spf and since I had some vouchers for Boot’s and had read a few good reviews, I figured I’d give it a try. From the first application of this, to the last where I was desperately trying to scrape every last morsel out of the tub I have absolutely love this. My skin felt so amazing and it really helped to minimise dryness for me without being too greasy. It had the bonus of being thick to apply, but I didn’t look like ‘porezilla’ and as though I’d smothered my face in Vaseline for the rest of the day. So this is actually my second purchase of this cream and it’s SPF15 is perfect for the Spring sun.

Repurchase: This is my second repurchase of this product and there’s no stopping me now!

RRP: £13.50

Where can I buy this? Boots – they have a wide range of creams to suit all skin types so make sure you browse and try.

Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Day & Night Cream

This was bought for me for Christmas and I started using it about 3 weeks ago. Although not as thick and luxurious as it’s dry skin counterpart above, this is remarkably good. Apart from the odd dry patch, my skin has felt hydrated all day and when I wake in the morning after applying the night cream.

Repurchase: This is great but I think I’ll be sticking to the Beautiful Skin Moisturiser in future.

RRP: £24.00

Where can I buy this? Boots, again take a look at their range and make sure you sample.

Olivia Chocolate Coconut Body Butter

I discovered this through The Vegan Kind and I wasn’t too keen on it at first. I thought the smell was a little weird, but it wasn’t until I tried it on my skin that it unveiled a heavinly chocolate coconut scent and I was hooked. This is a very oily body butter though, which is fantastic for my skin but probably not so great if you have greasy skin. It takes a while to absorb because of how oily it is, but the results are so worth hopping around in your pants after applying this post shower. My skin felt soft and was left with a beautifully subtle chocolate coconut scent.

Repurchase: I’ll be trying some of the other scent’s and perhaps some more products from Olivia in the future.

RRP: £5.00

Where can I buy this? Direct from the Olivia Soaps and Balms Website.

Anew Clinical E-Defence

I was using this as a night cream and wasn’t expecting a great deal as I’ve found a lot of Avon moisturisers dry my skin out. Having said that I’ve enjoyed using this so much. It has a real luxurious feel to it and my skin felt rejuvenated and hydrated in the morning. I was definitely surprised at how much I enjoyed using this though.

Repurchase: I think if this is on offer in the future I’ll pick up another to use.

RRP: £20.00

Where can I buy this? Avon either direct from their website or from your local Avon rep.

White Rabbit Toning Eye Cream

I’m really into White Rabbit at the moment, I’ve tried a few of their products after discovering them through The Vegan Kind and I’ve really enjoyed them all. My favourite at the moment though is this toning eye cream. I find it’s gentle around my eye area and helps to keep the skin hydrated. It also doesn’t irritate my eyes which is something I’ve suffered from before with previous eye creams. Being 100% Vegan and natural is also an added bonus.

Repurchase: Definitely going to have a White Rabbit haul soon.

RRP: £8.00

Where can I buy this? Direct from The White Rabbit etsy shop – make sure you check out all their other wonderful products.

Premae Triumph Moisutrising Creme Balm

I really loved using this – I mean really really loved using this! I wish I hadn’t enjoyed it so much because the price is somewhat out of my range at the moment. It’s such a lightweight formula that glides onto the skin and each morning when I used this pot of joy sparingly over my face, it felt absolutely wonderful. My face remained soft and hydrated until bedtime and I can’t even begin to put into words how amazing it felt.

Repurchase: I’d like to, but not at the current price.

RRP: £51

Where can I buy this? From the Premae website.

So there’s the low down on some of my current skin heroes that have seen me through the end of Winter to the beginning of Spring. I’m looking forward to using the rest of these up over the next few weeks to try and repair some of the damage all those nights with the heating on have caused!

What are your current spring heroes? Is there anything you use all year round or do you have a different skin routine depending on the season? I’d love to know in the comments below.

Totally hellbent for SPF moisturisers

Pants

Skincare

The Body Shop Festive Sweet Treats Hand Cream in Vanilla brulee, Glazed Apple & Frosted Cranberry Review

November 12, 2014

Gem and I have been saving up some of our Body Shop “little card of Christmas wishes” from various magazines for a few weeks now. As it happened, we both went to meet a friend in town on Monday and thought it would be such a wasted opportunity if we didn’t go in store and use one of our £3 off cards. After all the new “Christmas” ranges were out and we were both desperate to try out “Vanilla Brulee”.

Despite our best intentions, we both failed at only picking up one item and both ended up with three hand creams thanks to their in store “buy two get one free” offer. I decided to pick up the new ranges; Vanilla Brulee, Glazed Apple and Frosted Cranberry.

Glazed apple is actually much nicer than anticipated and is that typical candy apple fragrance, without being too sickly or sweet. Frosted Cranberry seems to be a new take on the usual “Cranberry” range, but I think this smells much nicer than previous years so I don’t know if they have changed the formula. Lastly, Vanilla Brulee is another gorgeous scent and after sniffing everything else in the range, I’m definitely adding all of the Vanilla Brulee products to my Christmas list this year.

Each hand cream is just £3.50 (from as little as 50p if you’ve picked up a recent little card of Christmas wishes) and in stores they are 3 for 2, so although I didn’t get to use my card due to opting for the in store offer, all three only set me back £7. These are great for testing out the new scents, without diving in head first and purchasing the whole the range in one go.

If you’d like to check out the rest of the range, simply visit The Body Shop’s website here. Although if you’ve already tried these, or the other products then we’d love to hear your thoughts?

Totally hellbent for Christmas time and festive season treats

-Pants

Skincare

Free L’Occitane Hand Cream with Marie Claire

October 14, 2014

It’s delicious freebie time and this month you can pick up a free L’Occitane Hand Cream with any copy of Marie Claire. If you’ve not tried any of their hand creams, now is probably the time. They are absolutely gorgeous and leave hands feeling wonderfully soft without the sticky residue of most creams.

This month there will be four to choose from, classic Shea Butter and the limited edition scents: Vanilla Bouquet, Delightful Rose and Zesty Lime each worth an amazing £8. I’ve so far managed to find Vanilla and Rose and after testing our the Zesty Lime, I’m definitely going to be on the hunt for it!

Make sure you keep an eye out for them in your local supermarkets, corner shops and newsagents!

Have you picked any of these up yet? If so, let us know what you think in the comments below.

Totally hellbent for free L’Occitane any day of the week

-Pants

Beauty Boxes, Make-up, Nails, Skincare, Travel

Glossybox June 2014 Review

June 16, 2014

This is the last of my beauty boxes to arrive this month, and Gem and I have been waiting on tenterhooks after a few spoilers were going around, but now the wait is over and I can finally see what is in my Glossybox!

The first thing I noticed, is that mine was prepared a little more shoddily than the usually impeccable presentation. My Glossybox (GB) sticker looked as though it had already been peeled off, and everything was just kind of “thrown in”. I know this has absolutely nothing to do with the contents, but one of the reasons I love GB so much, is down to the presentation and packaging.

That aside, let’s move onto the contents:

nailgirls – 3in1 base/topcoat & nail strengthener | Full Size Product | £13.50

I received a nailgirls in one of my boxes last month, unfortunately it was the most disgusting barbie pink that I am likely never to wear. The formula was amazing though which was a shame, so I’m pretty glad I’ve received another, this time more multi-functional product from them. I am running out of base coat (and at the rate I paint my nails it’s no wonder), so I was gearing up to look around and buy a new one. No need now though. Having base and top coat in one is going to be especially great for when I go away, knowing that I don’t have to fill my bag with lots of varnish. Because when you are on a 6 hour boat ride to a festival, you need to occupy yourself!

Teeez Trend Cosmetics – Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush | One Size | €19

This brush looked absolutely amazing, but from the moment I tipped the tip out of the box, my heart sank. There it was, the distinct sand coloured bristle that generally means some form of animal hair. I therefore narrowed my eyes and replaced this brush back into it’s box never to be used on my skin. Although my first impressions of the brush were that it looked fab, on closer inspection it is a mere spec on the horizon compared to it’s cruelty free counter parts and the bristles were quite stiff and and rough. I know it’s always difficult to know for sure if a brand is cruelty free, but for a company that thinks it’s Okay to use animal in their brushes, I don’t hold out any hope for the rest of their products. Glossybox take note.

Rituals … – QI Gong anti-perspirant spray | 50ml | £3.50 for 50ml

Moving onto a product that I am happy to use, Rituals QI Gong antiperspirant spray. A company who appear to be fairly transparent about their cruelty free products and state categorically that they do not test on animals, nor do they allow third parties to. Although they admit to using beeswax and lanolin (wool fat) I can live with these, although I know there a lot of Vegan’s out there who would disagree. Ever since I procured one a Rituals body wash, I’ve relished the chance to try more of their products. This is a perfect size for taking to festivals (of which my first is going to be a week on Thursday!!), it smells absolutely gorgeous – infused with “white lotus and Yi Yi Ren” it’s a light and subtle summery scent, with a slight musky undertone to it. This is definitely going to be packed and I can’t wait to use it.

QV Skincare – QV Skin Lotion | 15ml | £6.06 for 250ml

Really? Really Glossybox? Really? For anyone that is unfamiliar with QV as a brand, they are heavily regarded as one of the cheaper go to companies for Doctors when writing prescriptions for Eczema and dry skin conditions. It’s issued by a pharmaceutical company named “Ego Pharmaceuticals” so sticking with what seems to be today’s theme of cruelty free, the chances of this being animal friendly are probably very slim (thanks to my nursing knowledge of pharmaceutical companies *boo hiss*), I note that they seemingly appear to avoid any questions asked about whether the product is Vegan or Vegetarian through skipping through their website earlier. I have in fact tried QV Lotion before, due to my very dry and sensitive skin and it really didn’t help at all not to mention my sheer reluctance to use a lot of products issues by my Doctor. Anyway, as much as my skin is a pain in the backside at times I definitely prefer organic, natural products. I suppose it’s the thought that counts GB, and I should really presume that you were sending my this because you actually took note of my beauty profile. Although next time I want to test out pharmaceutical lotions and potions, I’ll stop by the Docs.

So Susan Cosmetics – Universal Blush | Full Size Z £18

And a nice end to half and half box. A lovely “cruelty free” (alleged) blush. I do love my blush – not quite as much as Gem, but this is a welcome product to my collection. The colour is a gorgeous shimmery pink/peach and the pigment is perfect. A quick swatch and I’m very pleased and excited to test this out. The packaging is adorable and if that wasn’t enough, this blush supposedly reduces redness and offers UV protection – you know how much we thrive off UV protection here at “Gem and Pants land of pale”. I’ll definitely be looking out for more products from So Susan Cosmetics, given this one is such a hit. My one criticism is the lack of shade/name, but I can live with it.

Overall, 3 out of 5 isn’t bad. That’s over half of the products that I’ve enjoyed right? If I’m going to be honest, this month’s box has put me in a bit of grump. Although there are three fantastic products that I’m really pleased with, the QV lotion and brush have really irritated me. I am definitely siding with Birchbox at the moment who are offering a lot more high end brands and more for your money rather than Glossybox who seem to be offering me products I can either pick up from Superdrug or from the local Doctor. I am really torn as to whether I want to keep my subscription at the moment but perhaps it’s time too move on to better and more animal friendly pastures?

Have you had this month’s Glossybox? What were your thoughts?

If you are wanting to try Glossybox out, you can do so for £10 a month + £3.25 p&p here.

Totally hellbent for not smothering my face in goat hair

-Pants

Skincare

Nip + Fab Clean Fix Gel Review

June 2, 2014

I finished using this facial cleanser a few weeks ago and it has since joined the box of “empties” waiting to be reviewed. After my 3 month love affair with this product (yes it lasted a whole 3 months!), I’m finally ready to ‘come out’ and spill the beans at how much I actually enjoyed using this.

This was actually purchased on my last Nip+Fab haul in September, which you may recall (see my post here) and when purchasing some Dry Leg Fix, I accidentally *cough* purchased the Skin Fix Web Exclusive for £7.99 which included Scrub Fix Facial Polish, Shine Fix mattifying gel (which I gave to Gem), No Needle Fix Serum sample and the Clean Fix Gel.

I’ve been using this as my “in shower” facial cleanser, which usually I only go for exfoliating scrubs whilst I’m in the shower, and the milder cleansers are used in the morning at the sink. Despite it’s lack of exfoliation, I actually really enjoyed using this. It made my skin feel very fresh and clean, the amount of lather was perfect and it didn’t irritate my skin. After using it I felt very “fresh faced”, it also lasted absolutely ages and by the time I’d finished the last of this, I was pretty sad at the prospect of having to remove it from the shower and move onto my next product.

After spending so much time in the shower with this, I’m no longer afraid of stepping outside my comfort zone and going for a more ‘traditional’ cleanser, that doesn’t have the comforting feeling of rubbing sandpaper on my face.

Sadly, after trawling the Nip + Fab website, I couldn’t find this so I wonder if it’s been discontinued or re-branded – (unfortunately in doing this, I have also found at least ten products that I now want to purchase!) however there are a few online sites that are still selling this, Amazon being one of them for £10.00 which you can check out here.

I’m definitely going to be picking up a few more facial products from Nip + Fab. Have you tried any of the Nip + Fab facial products? I’d love to know what you thought in the comments section below.

Totally hellbent for surprisingly amazing facial cleansers

-Pants

Candles, Clothing and Fashion, Make-up, Nails, Skincare

Accidental May Haul

May 29, 2014

Sometimes you just want to shop. It’s an urge that truly can not be ignored, especially if Gem and I are left alone, unsupervised! This afternoon was definitely one of those times and we ended up going on a completely unplanned spree.

No budget style shop would be complete without a trip to Primark and even though I didn’t -need- anything at all, I still ended up with a bag full of stuff. I absolutely adore giraffes and I squeeled with delight when I found the giraffe print dress and the tote bag. Even though I usually buy matching underwear from La Senza or Ann Summers, I often pick up some cheap briefs when I can for the gym or lounging around, because lets face it, no one wants to spend 30 minutes on a treadmill in lacy briefs. I really couldn’t resist the pack of four Brazilian style briefs which came in red animal print, red lipsticks, red hearts and navy polka dots and the 5 pairs of animal print “shoe liners” or better know to me as … socks I can wear at the gym with my trainers.

Giraffe Dress – £5 – Primark

Giraffe tote bag – £1.50 – Primark

Pack of 4 brazilian briefs – £4.50 – Primark

Animal print shoe liners – £2.50 – Primark

And now the stuff that I really really didn’t need. Another candle to add to my collection from Primark in “red berries & orchid” a beautiful berry candle in a gorgeous purple tin, surely this was meant for my dressing table?

A trip to boots ended up in me picking the Rimmel Scandel Eyes gel eyeliner up, which you can read Gem’s review about here, and also NO7’s Beautiful Skin Day Cream with spf15. This was my primary reason for going into Boots as I had a £5 off No7 skincare voucher and really needed some day moisturiser which had spf in. This was for dry to very dry skin and all the reviews I’ve read about this cream were pretty good, so I’m excited to give it a try when I run out of my current moisturiser.

Despite my worries of going to Superdrug and buying half the store, I was actually very sensible, as it was 3 for 2 on most of their makeup, I did pick up an MUA lip-liner in “Red Drama”, MUA lipstick in “Shade 3” and another MUA power pout in “Crazy in Love” (you can see my review of the MUA power pout in “Runaway” here). I also picked up some Garnier Micellar water, which I really did need and some more deodorant which I’m almost out of.

Lastly, we fell into Poundland where I stupidly decided that I had to have a Revlon nail varnish in “Runway Pearl”, two W7 “rock and roll” eye-shadows in “sage” and “envy”, some zebra pens (I already have a vast collection of these exact pens in my desk drawer!) and some beautiful blue paper, a nice addition to my craft room.

Purple tin candle – £3.50 – Primark

Rimmel Scandel Eyes Gel Eyeliner – 4.99 – Boots (usually £6.99 and also £6.99 in Superdrug)

No 7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream – £12.50 – Boots (only £7.50 with my £5 off voucher)

Nivea deodorant – £2.29 – Superdrug (2 for £3)

MUA Power Pout – £3 – Superdrug

MUA Lip Liner – £1 – Superdrug

MUA Lipstick – £1 – Superdrug (3 for 2 – £4 in total)

Revlon Nail Varnish – £1 – Poundland

Decorative paper – £1 – Poundland

W7 rock and roll eyeshadow – £1 each – Poundland

Zebra animal print pens – £1 – Poundland

I absolutely blame our shop on Lauren over at Lauren Amy Blogs, since I was up late last night reading some of her “Superdrug haul” posts and I had an overwhelming urge to go out and buy things. Despite both Gem and I having a no spending month *cough*, together we are a force that is unstoppable – thankfully we did manage to resist the £5 blow up chairs in Ann Summers complete with built in penis’ – something we thought would be absolutely hilarious to take to our upcoming festivals.

This is definitely my last haul for a while, but if you’ve had a recent haul, please post us your links in the comments below so instead of spending our money we can live precariously through you and your blog posts :o).

Totally hellbent for having an uncontrollable addiction that I thankfully share with my bested friend in the whole world

-Pants

Skincare

Deep Steep Moisture Stick Review

April 23, 2014

The Deep Steep Moisture Stick was received as part of my first ever Love me Beauty March Box. Since the moment I’ve taken this out the box, its been a definite staple in my everyday routine and now has pride of place amongst my hand creams on my desk. I am one to suffer dry skin I am forever carrying around tiny pots of moisturiser that either open up in the bottom of my bag or leave my hands greasy after applying liberal amounts on the go when I’m far from a hand washing facility. I’ve never heard of Deep Steep before, but I’ve swapped my tiny tubs for this tiny – but mighty – tube.

Unlike conventional moisturisers, this is more of a balm in a roll up container in “honeydew – spearmint”. It glides onto the skin without you having to splodge any cream into your hand first and slowly absorbs leaving those irritating dry patches beautifully smooth. The scent is not too powerful and gives a refreshing yet subtle minty fragrance which doesn’t irritate the skin. Because of it’s balm like consistency, you also get accuracy with your application and this is perfect for on the go, whether you are in the car or out for dinner you can grab it from your handbag, apply as required and need not worry about having to wash your hands or having excess cream to rub in elsewhere. Packed with natural ingredients, there doesn’t seem to be a harsh preservative or chemical in sight and better yet it’s completely Vegan with an assurance of no animal testing.

As if the above wasn’t enough to tempt you, it also comes in a range of scents; from “lavender – chamomile” to “vanilla – sugar” (yes please). From their online shop here it”s $5.05 for a 15g stick but I don’t think they ship to the UK, having said that, I’ve also found this on the Feel Unique website for £4.95 on their but you don’t have a choice of the whole range. After taking a peek at some of Deep Steep’s other products available on their site I am definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for stock in the UK. (Ahem Deep Steep take note).

If ever there was a product I have fallen head over heels for from the moment I cast my eyes upon it, this is one of them. I’m even incredibly excited about taking this with me on one of my occasional night shifts to keep my skin hydrated throughout!

Have you tried the Deep Steep moisture stick out? If so what were your thoughts? We’d also like to hear of any other Deep Steep products you’ve tried!

Totally hellbent for fully controlled and zero mess, portable moisture – wherever – whenever

-Pants

Skincare

Nip + Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix Review

April 23, 2014

I’ve got a lot of love for Nip + Fab, so I picked this up with very high expectations. We all want those wonder products that fix everything and perform miracles, and there are so very many with such extraordinary promises that don’t follow up. This however is not one of them.

The Nip + Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix is a cooling eye treatment in with a roller ball applicator that claims to smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles and target dark circles, now I’m lucky enough not to worry about fine lines (at least not just yet – eek!) but I do suffer from dark circles and tired looking eyes.

I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and I have to say it really has made a huge difference to my dark circles! I’ve tried a few other roller ball style eye treatments in the past and none of them have come close to the refreshing cooling sensation you get with this. It really does brighten and tighten the area, and the longer I use it the better the results seem to be.

The Nip + Fab Viper Venom Eye Fix is a great fix for the morning after the night before or just for those super early mornings when you need a little pick me up, but personally I’ve started using it almost every day just to keep myself looking bright eyed and bushy tailed no matter how little sleep I’ve had!

Overall another amazing Nip + Fab product to add to the collection, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try!

I’d be really interested to find out if it works as well on fine lines, has anyone out there seen any results from using this?

The Nip + Fab Viper Venom usually retails for around £14.99 but I’ve found it here on Allbeauty.com for only £5.95!

Totally hellbent for a wonder product that actually works!

– Gem

Skincare

Dermalogica UltraCalming Review

April 18, 2014

You may recall many post ago Gem and I gave in to the Glamour Beauty Edit 3, one of the main perks of this being the miniature dermalogica UltraCalming starter kit. Well it may have taken a little while but I’ve finally cracked this open and put it to good use! The UltraCalming range is supposed to be well suited to those that suffer from flare ups or inflammation due to sensitivity of their skin – which sounds absolutely perfect for me! In this mini starter kit, you receive a cleanser, a facial mist, a serum and a face mask.

UltraCalming Cleanser

I’ve been very much enjoying my Soap and Glory “Peaches and Clean” facial cleanser for some time now so it was a little hard to push that to one side to try this out. I was very impressed by how fresh my skin felt afterwards and it didn’t seem as dry our angry after I’d washed it. I think I’d have to use this over a much longer period of time though to see if this is a new cleanser for me as it’s quite difficult to judge over a 1-2 week period (I think I can just about managed to squeeze 2 full weeks out of this sample). It’s priced at £26.90 on the dermalogica website and I’m not sure how I feel about splashing out that much cash on a cleanser at the moment and it’s a risk if after three weeks my skin decides that actually it doesn’t like this any more and it’s going to throw a strop (yes this actually happens!) I’m surprised at just how long Soap and Glory has managed to stay in my morning cleansing regime!

UltraCalming relief masque

Like most face masks, this should be applied after cleansing and left for around 10 minutes. I admit I haven’t tried this yet because I’m saving it for a nice pamper day but I’m intrigued as to how this feels when applied and also the end result. The full sized product is priced at £40.10 which is very steep for a face mask and even if this worked wonders I’m not entirely sure I could justify spending that much money on a product that I wouldn’t use as regularly as a moisturiser. When I do crack this out though, I’ll be sure to let you know how it was! You can see this on the dermalogica website here.

UltraCalming mist

I’ve been using this for the past few weeks now, the idea is that you spray your face and neck before applying serum and moisturiser. It’s become part of my morning routine and I am rather enjoying it. I’m going to be sad when I run out if I’m being completely honest. The website describes this as a soothing mist that can quickly calm redness and is used to lock in moisture and prime skin. One of my biggest problems in the morning is after I’ve washed my face, my skin feels really dry and I can usually see it beginning to redden. It’s a bit of a race against the clock to try and slap my moisturiser on as quickly as possible before it dries out any more. This spray however is very lightweight and does seem to calm my skin down during that initial period. It’s not too greasy and absorbs beautifully. I usually leave this for a few minutes before going ahead with the serum which seems to work. At £28.30 for 177ml it’s not quite as extortionate as the face mask and I would probably be inclined to invest in this having tried it. It’s available direct from the website here.

UltraCalming serum concentrate

At first this seemed a little watery, but after a bit of shaking, the consistency thickened a little and was easier to apply. I’ve been using this straight after the mist and I have noticed a huge difference, mostly towards the afternoon of each day. Usually about lunch time I feel like I need to top up my moisturiser or my skin begins to feel tighter, but since using this I’ve been fine up until the evening when I re-cleanse and get down with my evening routine. I’ve had not crazy red patches that have suddenly broken out on me because I’ve dared use a slightly different product and I’ve actually really enjoyed using it. It is currently priced at £52.60 which is very expensive for a serum and is a little off putting. You can view the serum here but although I’ve loved the results of this it definitely is out of my price range.

My only issue with this starter set is that it didn’t come with a moisturiser, which really would have completed it and given me a good all round regime to try out. Although it’s produced some great results, I definitely can not afford to splurge on each item and although dermalogica sell a starter set of minis similar to this for £43.60 it just wont keep me going long enough! I do keep telling myself that I should spend a little more on my facial care but my current regime is serving me well. I may consider buying the UltraCalming mist at some point when my bank balance looks a bit healthier but that may be a long way off given my most recent shopping sprees!

Have you tried any of the dermalogica UltraCalming range? What sort of price would you expect to pay for skincare? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Totally -not- hellbent for “sorry I can’t afford your absolutely amazing skin care range”

-Pants

Skincare

Back to Basics – Simple Skincare

March 19, 2014

Simple Skincare - face scrub, face wipes, light moisturiser

Long before I became a beauty blogger with a mountain of skincare products that threatens to topple and kill me any minute I only used one brand and that was Simple.

Today I picked a few products up on a whim (as they were an amazingly cheap 3 for £5!) to see if they still live up to my memories now that I’ve been tainted with the world of high end skincare, and I have to say I feel cheated, they are every bit as amazing as I remember!

There are lots of things I like about Simple as a brand, they are completely vegan and contain no artificial perfume, colour or harsh chemicals making them great for all skin types, but especially those with sensitive skin or allergies.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes

I haven’t used face-wipes for ages (with the exception of festival season where they are an -essential-) but I’ll admit that there are times where I wish I had a wipe at hand when I’m just too tired to go through the rigmarole of a five step skincare routine before bed. You get 25 wipes in a pack and they are much thicker and softer than any other wipes I have tried. They contain no alcohol or oil and are enriched with pro-vitamin B5 and Vitamin E.

Depending on how much make-up I have on I can usually get the whole lot off with only one wipe. Stage make-up takes two but do then it is primed and prepped to last up to running around a sweaty stage!

Simple Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub

We all love a good exfoliate, right? I certainly do, I have greasy skin prone to breakouts and blackheads and sometimes only a deep scrub will do the job! After only one use I can see why I used to love this scrub so much. It has fine rice granules that feel quite chunky in comparison to the microdermabrasion scrubs I’ve favoured of late, yet they work just as well. One use left my skin looking clearer and fresher without drying out at all.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

This was the first moisturiser I purchased way back in my teens when dinosaurs roamed the earth. As with the face wipes it is enriched with Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E, and is equally friendly on sensitive skin. It’s a very light moisturiser and absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving a greasy or oily feel.

I do think you can feel a price-difference with moisturisers and though this does do the job it doesn’t quite leave the same silky feeling as my beloved L’Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream (but really with a £27 price difference you can’t complain!) it more than suffices for a general purpose day to day moisturiser.

My only serious qualm with this is that it doesn’t contain any SPF, but as my foundation does (plus the fact I don’t take my pale goth skin anywhere near sunshine without dedicated factor 50) I can get by.

I’ve completely re-sparked my love for Simple as a brand and will definitely be picking up a few old favourites (and some new products I’ve not yet tried!) soon.

At the moment Simple are 3 for £5 from Sainsburys, but you can always find them on special offer at Boots and Superdrug.

Have you tried Simple skincare, what are your favourites from the range?

Totally hellbent for a trip down skincare memory lane

– Gem

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