Sleek CC Cream

I recently went on holiday for a week to Turkey and came back extremely tanned! My skin hasn’t been this tanned for a while and even though I do like the bronzed glow it has given me, it meant that my current foundations are much too light for my skin now.   

I made a trip to Boots after work to find a foundation which would match my tanned skin perfectly. Firstly, I was really surprised at the lack of shade ranges that were available, especially in regards to darker shades. I came across mostly medium toned foundations at best with heavy pink and peach undertones – not all suitable for my yellow toned complexion.

I decided to look at the Sleek counter as I know they cater quite well for those with darker skin tones.  I came across their ‘CC Cream’ which is advertised as a cream to boost radiance and mattify shine and a complexion corrector that treats and conceals imperfections. It also contains vitamin C said to protect skin against damage caused by free radicals, reduces fine lines, wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and the formula nourishes skin and combats dull and uneven skin tones leaving a beautifully fresh and even complexion. Furthermore, it contains ‘colour adaptive technology that adjusts to your skin tone and works to brighten and enhance skins natural radiance, whilst fighting against shine’. It also contains SPF 29 which is a bonus and I have found that is photographs quite nicely given the SPF factor.

 

I went for the medium shade in this but, as you will see from the images, it is really quite dark (even for my current skin tone) and I would possibly compare it to a MAC NC45. The reason I picked it up was because of how yellow toned it was in comparison to all the other foundations I came across and it was my intention to mix it with my current foundations so I didn’t mind that it was a bit on the darker side. I also felt that getting a CC cream was hopefully better for my skin then just an ordinary foundation, or convinced myself of that at least!

Just swatched

Blended

I would say that is coverage of the cream is medium and buildable too. It does cover minor skin imperfections and evens out the skin tone nicely, however, you probably will still need a concealer for any problematic areas.  It has quite a thick consistency but does blend well into the skin and I like to apply it with my Real Techniques buffing brush. The finish is quite dewy on application but doesn’t feel sticky or uncomfortable if blended well. In terms of colour adapting technology, I’m not sure I can comment fully as I do mix with another foundation but I think it suits and also brightens my tanned skin quite well. It also has quite a decent lasting power considering it’s a CC cream.  

However, my only gripe is that I’m not 100% convinced that the cream mattify’s shine. I have combination skin and have found foundations I’ve used in the past such as Bourjois’s Healthy Mix Serum and Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua, which have not left me oily in my t-zone area, however, this slightly does. I mean it’s not terrible but I have used it a few times now and have learnt that I must use a mattyfying powder on top to prevent too much shininess from occurring throughout the day. Therefore I  wouldn’t really recommend this product for those with very oily skin types and it is probably more suited to those with dry skin. Due to the formula and finish, perhaps it would be more suited to the winter months?  

All in all, it’s a doing a pretty decent job of giving my current foundation more of a golden brown hue and I will probably use it all up. However, apart from the shade, I wouldn’t say that it is a stand out product for me as I think it does a job which many other creams and foundations can do.

 

I hope you found this review to be helpful, I would love to read your thoughts and comments!

 

Xoxo

Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil

I have used many body moisturisers in my time ranging from the cult Body Shop body butters to the likes of Dove, Nivea and the classic Palmers coco butter too. It is worth mentioning that I do not have severely dry skin but occasionally, mostly during winter time, it can sometimes get tight and itchy. 

Every time I buy a new body moisturiser I have the best intention of using it on a daily basis as recommended but can’t help but be put off by how my skins feels after use – pretty much all of them left my skin either sticky or just plain greasy. I know that I need to moisturise but find it uncomfortable when I have to put my clothes on afterwards so some days I would skip it altogether.

I have recently tried the Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil which currently sells at about £7 for a 300ml size and comes in a handy pump application. I guess it’s a tad more expensive than other brands but for me, it has been a stand out product.  It is ‘formulated with naturally active colloidal oatmeal and sweet almond oil, this non-greasy product combines the moisturising benefits of an oil with the convenience of cream.’ The product contains many naturally beneficial ingredients and is not heavily fragranced but you do get subtle scent from the sweet almond oil which isn’t particularly offensive - I actually quite like it. 

    

I bought this moisturiser to take with me on holiday to Turkey as I knew my skin would need it after all the sun exposure along with the being in and out of water. I used it every day and it was perfect for the hot weather as it didn’t make my skin feel sticky at all. The moisturiser blends into the skin easily and absorbs very quickly too and my skin is left feeling supple and super soft instantly. I love that I can’t tell I have put moisturiser on but my skins feels (and looks) as though it has. I actually used another body moisturiser the other day and was amazed at how different it felt to the Aveeno one. It felt clammy and as though my skin was just coated in a superficial film, so different to my experience in using Aveeno.

Even my husband, who rarely moisturises!, also used it every day on holiday and still continues to use it in evening after his shower, so it’s a guaranteed winner all round! I also think that a little goes a long way so hopefully it will last me for some time yet.  It’s a definite repurchase for me and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new body moisturiser.

Have you tried any of the other products in the Aveeno range? What did you think?

Xoxo

Worth the hype? Review on Glam Glow Bright Mud Eye Treatment

After having read rave reviews on the Glam Glow products, I decided to purchase ‘The CAMERA-READY Try Before You Buy’ trial pack, currently retailing at £13. It includes 3 of their mud treatments in single-use sample sizes including the Youth Mud, Super Mud and their Bright Mud eye treatment.

 

Today, I will be reviewing the Bright Mud eye treatment. The product claims to be ‘The world's first tap-on-wipe-off eye product designed to work for Hollywood actors in just a few minutes, just before going in front of a camera on-set. It is designed for instant 3-minute results targeting dark circles, puffiness, tired eye, fine lines by hydrating, brightening and plumping the eye area.’

I don’t really have any major concerns around my eye area, but I was looking for something which would brighten my under eye area as well as help with a few fine lines and this product said it would do just that.  

The formula is said to contain advanced active ingredients (including caffeine) and you can visibly see the bits of the ‘teoxi peppermint leaf for a brightening finish’. When applying the product, you tap the product under your eyes (you can use it on the orbital area too) and then wait for 3 minutes, and wipe off with soft dry tissue, using a clean part for each wipe. I personally found the application process quite unpleasant, the leaf bits felt odd and uncomfortable around my eye area and I’m not sure I even waited the full 3 minutes as I wanted to take it off as soon as possible!

After I removed the product as recommended, this was a bit of a pain in itself and not great for the delicate eye area, I was hoping to see some instant results as promised by Glam Glow. It’s worth mentioning that I used the product on 2 separate occasions in order to write a more informed review. While I saw a very slight improvement in that it seemed to tighten my under eye area, it was no way near the results I was expecting. It did nothing in terms of brightening or helping to diminish my few fine lines. I can’t really comment on the puffiness aspect as I don’t have this concern but I am 99% sure it wouldn’t have helped with that either.  I actually did some before and after photos which I was planning on posting but there really was no visible difference so I thought it would be pretty pointless.  

Disappointingly, I can’t help but feel as though this product is quite gimmicky and there doesn’t seem to be any proven scientific research or benefits behind its ingredients.  The product retails online at £44.99 (for 12 single treatments) which I think is massively over priced for what it actually does (or doesn’t do!) and I’m very glad I didn’t waste that much money on it. I think there are much better (and cheaper)  products out there which give significantly better results and with longer lasting benefits too.

Are there any eye creams you would recommend?

Xoxo