L'Oreal Skin Perfection Serum

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Serum £16.99

I've had this serum for a while (it's actually nearly an empty) and have been using it nearly everyday. I went to write this post about 2 weeks after using it and just didn't have any words to put against it. I kind of still feel like that but wants to put my blah feelings out there. This serum is nice, it is nice under moisturiser, a little hydrating and a nice consistency. But I hate the word nice - I've been waiting for this to amaze me and it just hasn't. I want something more from a serum to be honest I want better skintone, better texture or just an altogether better base. It doesn't do those things sadly - it is in no way offensive it's never broken me out and the pink pump packaging suits me just fine. I just wouldn't buy this again - to me it's not worth the money I'd rather spend a little more on a serum that improves my skin tone or offers a serious amount of hydration. I'm sure this works amazingly for some people and I have enjoyed using it but I've never thought damn this is amazing which is what I look for in skincare. Sorry for my blah review but I wish I'd read this before buying it so I could head for something else so I hope this manages to maybe do the same to someone in the same position.

Georgina x.

Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Lotion

The Body Shop vitamin E range has been one of my best skincare buys in ages. It's really working with my skin type (oily but dehydrated). This is a great moisturizer for the day - it's light but really nourishing and creates a great even base for my make-up. Coming in at £12 this is a lot better than much more expensive moisturizers I've tried. If you have dry skin I'd recommend the night cream from this range that is stupidly hydrating. I've been so impressed with all things skincare from the Body Shop so I'll definitely be doing another haul soon. I also highly recommend signing up to their newsletter and buying online as they have some amazing deals. I ended up getting 40% off the order that this was included in making it stupidly reasonable. 

Georgina x.

Garnier Moisture Match Shine Be Gone

I didn't mean to but I've really fallen for this little moisturiser. It retails for £5.99 but it's always on offer currently £3.99 at Boots. I picked it up as I love something that mattify's my increasingly oily face. What I love about this product is it does exactly what it says in the box. It mattify's oily skin, absorbs super fast and gives great hydration at the same time. I only use this is in the morning as I like a lot more moisture over night but for the day it's great at holding my make-up in place and keeping oil at bay. 

There's 5 moisturisers in Garniers range for different skin types Goodbye Dry for dry to very dry, Start Afresh for normal to dry, Shine be Gone for combination to oily, Wake me Up for dull, and Protect & Glow for normal skin. I would definitely recommend this range if you are on a budget and looking for a day moisture that is designed specific to your skin type. 

Alpha H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid - Review

I've been wanting to try Alpha H Liquid Gold for probably a year or so when it first burst onto every blog I read. I was however a little scared of it acid and a price tag that was out of my league meant that I just never got around to buying it. However my new years resolution was to buy just one thing each month that was expensive but has been on many a wishlist. This month was finally the time for Alpha H after spending hours reading everything Caroline Hirons had to say I knew this was a better early purchase than any of the make-up on my wishlist. I picked it up from Beauty Expert in a duo bundle for about £40 but it RRP's for £31.50 for 100ml. 

I'm having a little skincare refresh at the moment as everything I was doing just wasn't working - this is working. I've been using liquid gold 2-3 times a week after fully removing all make-up and then not applying anything after it for what they call an intensive treatment. If I'm honest I'd read so much about it that I kind of imagined waking up looking in the mirror with my 15 year old skin. It isn't a miracle worker but after just a few weeks my complexion is more glowing, my pores less visible and all the dark marks and redness caused by previous break outs is heavily reduced. 

Alpha H is an exfoliant and it really does all the things it claims - I feared I'd have dry angry skin when using this but I haven't found any bad side effects whatsoever. It is pricey but it's so worth it. You only need the smallest amount on a cotton pad (as much as  a toner) lightly sweep it across the skin and you're done. I would highly recommend this product as I change up my skincare routine this has helped me the see the light - if you're in any doubt google Alpha H Caroline Hirons you'll see all of the most gorgeous skinned girls raving about it too. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - Review

I saw the Garnier miceller cleansing water in an instagram post a month or so ago and have been trying to get my hands on it for ages. It finally seems to be popping up everywhere and I picked it up in Asda a few weeks ago. I had become a little reliant on micellar water after falling in love with both Bioderma and the L'Oreal offering but I've started using it properly as a make-up remover rather than a cleanser and my skin is loving me for it. I read Charlotte's post 'why bioderma is so 2013' and it completely summed up my current skincare problems. I'd become really lazy and was relying completely on micellar water for all my skincare needs. 

I went cold turkey for a week after reading her post and began properly cleansing, toning and moisturising. My pores are less visible, my skintone less red and I am having fewer breakouts. In the last few days I've reintroduced micellar water as a pre-cleanse to get the most from my REN cleanser and to also remove all my make-up. It's working brilliantly - massive thank you to Charlotte at Lil Miss Chickas  for pointing out my obvious laziness in her post. 

So the Garnier micellar water has had a thorough testing and I have to say it's nothing groundbreaking and is equally as good as L'Oreal (review). I genuinely couldn't tell you any differences between them and I have really tried. I like the bottle a lot more on the Garnier version the chunky round shape and pink lid appeal in the same way Bioderma's very similar packaging does. This version removes my make-up just as well. I think this is a product that all UK skin care brands are going to bring out at some point this year and I can't imagine any of them being particularly awful as the concept is so simple. I currently have no loyalty to any of them and will be picking up my pre-cleanse micellar waters purely based on price. Most new entries to the market are on offer for just £2 - £3 so a bargain for an everyday purchase. As for the 400ml = 200 uses slogan on this bottle, are you kidding! This is based on 2ml per use so you'd have to extremely light make-up on for this to be anywhere near close. A silly claim that is so unnecessary - it lasts just as long as all other brands and for the price I don't think anyone would expect 200 or 100 days worth out of it. 

Dr Jart + Up-Tighten Serum

I adored the Dr Jart waterfuse BB cream  so had high hopes for the up tighten serum. I've mentioned many times on here that the main problem I have with my skin is large and very visible pores. When a product claims to help with this in some way it normally ends up in my basket. I'm yet to overcome the problem completely but this is helping. The Dr Jart + Up Tighten Serum helps tighten and refine pores and also helps to prevent the build up of impurities. The key pore tightening ingredients are sage and rosemary extract. It gives a nice matte finish which makes it a lovely serum to use in the morning as well as evening. I've really noticed a difference when using this - I did have a small breakout as I started with it but after a little perseverance my skin is less red and my pores are much less visible.  It contains a little witch hazel too which I think is helping keep my spots under control right now. For £13 I think this is very good value as it does live up to it's claims and like most serum's a small amount goes a very long way. 

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk

 

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk £16 Cult Beauty

I really love REN - have I ever mentioned that? Part of my new years beauty resolution plan was to properly cleanse tone and moisturize much more. I tend to steer away from face washing due to laziness but this year it's time for a change and this product has made me stick to that every single day so far - granted it's only the 5th but that's pretty good for me.

It's blurb describes how it's been developed for those with blotchiness, redness and extreme dryness. As the cold is really setting in right now my skin is always up for some extra moisture and my skin is really red in places so this really appealed. I find a lot of face washes foam and dry out my face but this is really the opposite to that. It says it has some cutting edge science that boost's the skin natural process of protection and even though I've only been using it a little while my skin is looking better than it does most of the year and given it's January I'm pretty happy with that. It's completely fragrance, paraben and oil free so is super gentle to the skin and feels ever so nourishing in the evenings.

I picked up this Hydra Calm cleansing milk from Marks and Spencers for just £10.50 after Christmas it's currently sold out online but I did see a couple left in my local branch so I recommend checking out they're sale if you're after this one - otherwise Cult Beauty have it for just £16.

Currently Loving

L'Oreal Micellar solution was on the blog just a few days ago but it's been a staple in my skin care for over a month now so I had to include it. Equally the Dermalogica Clean Start Welcome Matte moisturiser (review) has become HG for me I've been using it religiously since buying the full size and touch wood haven't had a single large break out. Following better skin days means less makeup and the Dr Jart water fuse BB cream has been my go to base. (review) It's perfect for these almost sunny days and also for the unnatural air of a large office. It's giving me the perfect coverage with only the need for small dabs of concealer. 

I've had the Charles Worthington Mussed Up texture spray for over a year now (review) and it's kind of fallen in amongst a basket full of hair products. However my hair's gotten pretty limp recently and this has really helped bring some life to it. It saves having to use heat stylers in the morning for volume and just gives it that little umph. I've also been loving the Body Shop detangling radiance rainforest spray (review) it's a lovely smelling spray that spritzed on after washing really gives the hair moisture and shine - I love this stuff. 

Finally I've also been going back to an old favourite - Collection 2000 Cream Puff in shade Fair Cake (review). I wish they'd bring out more shades of this lip formula as it's perfectly velvety to apply has a lovely matte finish and really good lasting power. 

Georgina x

Dr Jart + Re-Tighten Mask

I've read lots of good things about Dr Jart and headed to Boots to pick a few things up to try. I found picking a few things extremely hard - pretty much every single product by the brand sounds amazing. However I'm always on the look out for smaller pores so the pore refine range did stand out for me.

This Dr Jart + Re-Tighten Mask retails for £19 here and is currently on a 3 for 2. I bought it because it claims to both tighten pores, control blackheads and remove excess sebum. My skin isn't happy at the moment so it was the perfect time to give this tube a go.

It's a clay based mask that is nothing like any clay mask I've used - it's nowhere near as thick. It glides onto the skin and as it drys turns clear in many patches. It's almost like my skin is absorbing it but I can still feel it's there unlike a moisturiser. I use this once or twice a week as suggested and I love using it. It's such a lovely light face mask that really has helped with the size of my pores and the overall clearness of my skin. My skin is nowhere near where I want to be but I know using this product is really helping it on its way.

This product is pricey however it's always on a save 1/3 or 3 for 2 offer at boots which makes it a little more purse friendly. It is also a massive 100ml tube and as it's smooth consistency spreads this mask out really evenly I know this will last me quite a while. There are so many more Dr Jart + product I want to try actually more like ranges I want to try. The Most Moist Water Sleeping Mask and the V7 renewal serum are most definitely on my Dr Jart wish list. I'd love to hear any other recommendations from the range too please leave them below or tweet me @georginacallen :)

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

I really love the idea of adding a serum into my skin care routine - I've so far had some amazing experiences (Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum) and some neither here nor there experiences (Boots Skin Blemish Defence Serum) So obviously when this little Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster was featured in my Exclusive Glossybox I was excited to give it a go. It smells gorgeous it has a strong grapefruit and orange scent to it that I thought would immediately break me out but its a really natural scent that has not given me a single blemish. It's quite a thick serum but spreads out really well and just absorbs straight into your skin.

I'm really loving it so I did a little research to find out what it is in this product that is really working for me. Ole Henriksen can be seen here - he's a happy looking man who claims to know a lot about skin. His feature in my glossybox is my first encounter with the brand but I love how thorough all of their descriptions are like the following about Truth Serum Collagen Booster -

"Like a daily vitamin for your face, this high powered vitamin C complex helps smooth out lines and wrinkles and prevents further damage. Loaded with antioxidants to fight off environmental aggressors and moisture-binding ingredients to keep your skin nourished and protected, this aromatic serum is absorbed instantly and penetrates to the deeper layers of the skin to provide long term results. Sensitive skin prone to irritation will benefit immensely from the calming properties of this oil-free serum."

This does sum it up it really does feel like the skin alternative to taking a whole host of vitamin C tablets. My skin is so full of moisture after using it and has remained pretty blemish free too despite the cold air which usually turns my face into a dry flaky mess. I've been trying a few other products so I can't wholly put my happy skin down to this product but it is the only product I've changed that gives moisture and on that front this really is doing the job.

After looking on the brands website lots of amazing things have been added to my wish list - the invigorating night gel, power peel, and sheer transformation are all at the top of the list. Is anyone in love with any other Ole Henriksen products?

Christmas Gift Idea's - Skincare Obsessions

So I have so many Christmas gift idea posts that it made sense to start getting them up now. With only 41 days to go I will be starting my obsessions related posts. These are the little bits I've had my eye on but didn't have enough people to buy them all for. They may appear a little sexist at times but its hard to blend in my categories without going generic female and male - I'd also like to add that nothing appearing in these posts has been bought for any of my nearest or dearest so I'm not ruining any surprises :) 

I hope they help people struggling to buy Christmas gifts and it also puts a use to my many many evenings searching for Christmas presents. 

HIM

Save Nivea Shave Set £7.99 // Men-u Ultimate Shave Facial Set £6.95

Spend Elemis King of Skin Advanced Skincare for Men Set £25 // Decleor Natural Skincare £27.20

Splurge men-u db Premier Synthetic Bristle Shaving Brush & Chrome Stand £44.95 // Clarins Men Grooming Essentials £38

HER
Save Simple Skincare £2 - £6 // Nivea Mini Treats £5

Spend Yes To Cucumbers Ultimate Calming Facial Kit £19.99 // Korres Best of Korres Set £19

Splurge Clarins Vital Light Skin Illuminators Collection £53.10 // Ole Henriksen The Whole Truth Kit £45

Bioderma Crealine H2o

Bioderma Crealine H2o -  500ml £12.45 (Incl Delivery - eBay)

I'm very late on the Bioderma bandwagon I know - I've spent months reading about the wonders of this product on many different blogs. But for some reason I just didn't get round to buying it - I think ordering a beauty product from eBay put me off a little as I couldn't find it anywhere else but I'm so glad I took the plunge and bought it a few weeks ago. 

Bioderma Crealine H2o is the most effective make-up remover I have ever used. It also doesn't irritate or react with my skin at all. It's pretty much as pure as water but with the effects of some of the strongest make-up removers I've ever used. Pretty big claims right? I don't know what's in it but I know it has no fragrance which I love and that it shifts the most stubborn of face and eye make-up efficiently without stinging my eyes or drying out my skin. 

I've included the link the buyer I bought directly from above as the product was wrapped so well and arrived very quickly. Bioderma Crealine is firmly in my skin care routine at the moment and the effectiveness of its make-up removal has kept my skin far more blemish free than ever before. I wish I'd bought this ages ago when I first started reading about it - I love it. 

Feel Unique Haul

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Purifying Mask 120g £5.95

Caudalie Beauty Elixir £9.90

Osmo Berber Oil Mask Restoration Therapy with Argan Oil 75ml £3.99 

Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner 75ml £6.05
Philip Kingsley Maximizer 125ml £11.20
Caudalie Grape Water - Limited Edition 200ml £9
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 150ml £22.30

I spend ALOT of time on FeelUnique.com  and I rarely buy anything but the other day I just thought to hell with it. I have a full time job it's time to buy the things I've been lusting after for literally months so I did - my bank balance and more importantly saving balance isn't loving it as much but I just can't wait for it all to arrive so wanted to share my little haul with you.

I picked up Palmer's Cocoa Butter Purifying Mask because I really need a new face mask in my life and the alternatives I've been lusting after have been 3 times the price of this one. I've always loved Palmers products so I'm excited to try this one out.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir is probably the product I read most about on beauty blogs it's a definite I just had to give it a go product. I also ready on the lovely Zoe's post that this Caudalie Grape Water is a good addition to the Caudalie Beauty Elixir if you don't like the smell. I don't even know if I don't like the smell yet but her wonderful review made me want this too.

Osmo Berber Oil Mask is pretty much down to the pretty price point and the fact that I'm a little obsessed with hair oils and hair masks at the moment. I'm excited to get this product on my head.

Phillip Kingsley Scalp Toner and Maximizer are because I have a sad scalp right now and I also always crave more volume. The Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer is actually 40ml and a wee freebie for buying two of the brands products also something I'm so excited to try.

Overall I literally can't wait for this package to arrive at my door it's full of things I've wanted to try for so long and I'm so glad I've just bought them to get over the obsessive blog reading about them. Full reviews on each item will be coming soon but I wanted to share my shopping splurge now as I literally can not contain my excitement :)

Simple Age Resisting Cleansing Wipes

Simple Age Resisting Cleansing Wipes £3.99 Boots

I feel like I never use make-up wipes but really thinking about it I go through them pretty quickly as I'm always picking up a new pack in the supermarket. I am a huge lover of the Simple brand and it is a massive part of my skincare routine so I often tend to pick up any extra bits when I need too. I really liked the age resisting moisturisers when I tried them a few months ago the green tea goodness and first against premature ageing is a winner for me when I'm looking at skin care. 

This is less of a review more just my thoughts because I really like these face wipes - they are super fresh and remove my makeup with ease. I know wipes aren't something I'd use all the time but I love having these with me when I stay over at friends or my boyfriends. I find them ideal in the morning and they really wake me skin up without being overly harsh. Overall Simple ticks all my boxes when it comes to skincare and these wipes are no exception. 

Origins Spot Remover Anti-Blemish Treatment Gel

I've read so much about this product and have been pretty sceptical. I have tried probably every type of blemish treatment on the market and nothing has ever wowed me or been repurchased. I've tried the expensive acne specific gels/ lotions which have always left my skin so dry and equally as bad as having the spot in the first place. However when I was in a store full of cosmetics and spotted this mid break out I had to buy it. Firstly it costs £12 here - which on first instance seems pretty extreme considering how tiny the bottle is. It really isn't too bad a price though considering how little you actually need I apply mine using a cotton bud and I've been using it solidly for a month and you can't even tell any has gone from the pot - a little goes a very long way. 

I haven't been too spotty recently but I do the standard monthly hormonal break out and this product has made it a lot less problematic. It actually works. I didn't believe it even after using it the first night before bed and waking up with a spot half the size and with very little redness. I thought it must be a fluke but it happened the next night too. I love this product - it does exactly what it says on the bottle. It's a super cute easy to use bottle and by being able to squeeze the little tube means you really will be able to get every last drop out of it. 

I so wish I'd taken the plunge and bought this when I was mid dissertation with spots everywhere - it would have made such a difference. I highly recommend this product weather you have one spot here and there or if you need it a little more regularly it's kind of good to know you have something in your drawer that will solve the problem over night. Skin care is so subjective but for me this is a complete winner and I'm so glad I bought it. 

Simple - Revitalising Eye Roll On

I picked this up as part of a three for two offer as a 'i'd just like to see what it does' kind of product. I have never really felt the need for a revitalising eye roll-on as I mostly rely on caffeine to wake me up. However as massive Simple Skincare junkie I thought I'd give it ago also at £4.99 in boots it was one of the cheapest compared to similar products. 

It has a little metal ball at the top which aims to cool and massage away the look of tired eyes. I think this product works because the metal ball is cold is shocks you awake. I tried to put this product in different places, the bathroom, my cosmetics drawer, and by my bed. No matter where I put it or what the temperature this little metal ball manages to stay so cold. After the initial shock of coldness on your morning eyes it is a nice product it wakes you up and does take away puffiness. 

I think its ideal if you have an abnormally early morning like a plane ride or an early work event as it does brighten your eyes and force you awake. It isn't a product I reach for everyday or particularly have a need for its definitely a little extra that's handy for certain days. I think if you have sleepy eyes regularly and you need a little morning eye pick me up this is definitely the thing to have in your drawer. 

Has anyone else tried this?

Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes

So alongside the Kleenex Shine Sheets I posted whilst away I also bought these Kleenex Facial Cleaning Wipes. They normally retail for £2.99 but are on offer here in Superdrug for £1.99 and I've seen them in most places for this price too. I used them a lot during my holiday as when it is that hot I really didn't have the patience for my full skin care routine.

I think make-up wipes are quite standard across the board and I've never been particularly in love or really hated them. However these ones do tick all the boxes. They are super wet - which I know sounds odd but they really do hold a lot of moisture in them so they make taking your make up off really easy and you don't need to rub too hard. They don't have any scent and didn't break me out at all which I loved. They even removed stubborn waterproof mascara well.

If I'm honest I think I will continue to just buy what make-up wipes are on offer because I'm quite fickle - but the price point of these are spot on and I think I will keep them in my drawer for getting in a little tipsy and those nights when you really just can not be bothered. If you are looking for some make-up wipes I would recommend these they are some of the best I've ever used.

Garnier Pure Active Moisturiser

I mostly only use this product when I have a particularly bad hormonal breakout. I've been switching up my skincare routine a lot recently and haven't had to use this much, however during dissertation time this was my go to moisturiser. It has Salicylic Acid in it which is something I always look for when trying to control my skin during a bad patch as it is the only active spot fighting ingredient I find actually works.

It claims to help protect against the appearance of spots before they appear, hydrates skin and visibly reducing skin. I agree that it does all these things and also helps remove redness from spots that are already there. One of my favourite things about this moisturiser is that it mattify's the skin - which the blurb says protects against spots - but it also makes my skin a brilliant base during break outs when my skin is at its most greasy.

It costs £4.99 for a 50ml pump bottle here  from Boots and is in a rather bright turquoise bottle - which I have to admit I really don't like. However the product itself I love. My skin is normally pretty normal but when I break out it goes really oily and I find this moisturiser calms down both my spots and mattes down my shine to give a more even base to my everyday make-up routine.

Has anyone tried any other Garnier Pure Active products?

Simple - Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser

You know in diet magazines where the women have that one picture they saw of themselves and it just shocked them into a crazy regime of not eating - I had one of those moments but about my skin  

- this was the picture -

My large pores have been something that have always bothered me about my skin - Benefits Porefessional has been a bit of a saviour (I blogged it here) but I've been looking for something to that minimises my pores when not wearing make-up and just more of a long term solution. This picture really pushed me into searching the isles of Boots trying to find a product that could help, and one that also didn't cost the earth to keep replacing. 

Then I came across this little gem. The Simple Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser. It is available here for £4.99 in Boots I picked it up in a 3 for 2 which is still on at the moment.

This product minimised my pores make-up or no make-up within days of using it. However I thought surely it can't last - so I stopped using it for 3 or 4 days but my pores remained visibly smaller. I started using it again and I've now been using it for 2 weeks twice a day and I'm going to go as far as saying this has revolutionised the appearance of my skin. 

In my recent  FOTD you can still my pores I know but they are considerably smaller and there is far less of them - here I'm not wearing any Porefessional just BB cream and foundation. I still love Porefessional but I'm finding I don't need to rely on it so much to even out my skin tone. On holiday I can just wear a BB cream to get an even complexion without the need for a pore minimising primer too. The product itself is lovely its clear, there is no fragrance and really cleanses my skin. I use it after my clinique clarifying lotion  followed by my Simple regeneration day or night cream 

I know skin care is completely subjective as we all have such different skin types. But for me this product is a god send, I absolutely love it, its made my skin a much better base for make-up overall. If you do have problems with large pores this is definitely worth trying out in your skincare routine. 

Simple Regeneration Age Resisting Day & Night Cream

I've been reading a lot into age products for the skin being all about prevention and not cure and that actually women in their 20's and 30's should be using them the most. It actually makes a lot of sense when you think about so I'm slowly trying to find products to introduce into my routine that help keep away wrinkles. I'm only 22 and I'm fully aware I don't have wrinkles right now but I'd also like to keep it this way for as long as possible without having to go under the knife. 

I love simple as a brand and I've always gone back to their products for many years. I find them perfectly fuss free and that they never break me out and just work for my skin. I was looking for a face cream with SPF in for my holiday and came across these two products in boots. I love the packaging and pump application of them. I would say a different coloured lid or background to differentiate the day and night cream would be useful just because I'm always in rush. 

I'm a little bit in love with these two creams - I often find my skin dries out so much in the sun but since using these my skin has felt plumper and fresher for a lot longer. The idea that it contains green tea goodness is probably a little gimmicky but knowing the benefits of green tea I think its added nutrients can only be a good thing. Having SPF in the day cream is brilliant in the summer months as you get a little more protection without needing extra products. 

Overall I am so happy with the results of these two creams and hopefully time will show them to keep my skin youthful and glowing like it is since I've started using them. They are currently on three for two at boots and for £6.59 the day cream is available here  and night cream if £5.99 available here.