Current skincare favourites... November 2015

Here are my skincare favourites for this month which I have been loving!


Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid + Retinol Brightening Solution

Now I have only been using this serum for just over a week (twice daily) but I’m already enjoying what it’s doing for my skin. This product wasn’t cheap (google it, my husband might be reading this!)  and promises to ‘combat all types of uneven skintone, dark spots resulting from aging and sun damage with proven antioxidants ferulic acid and retinol, hyperpigmentation and hormonal changes with azelaic amino acid and bearberry, and blemish scars with salicylic acid and willowbark’... so course, I have high hopes!

 

The formula is a very thin colourless consistency and has a slight medicinal smell which I don’t mind.  It comes in a 30ml size glass bottle with a separate dropper and also microfibre pads. It is recommended that for specific areas of concern, you should apply the solution with pads on the desired area or use as an all over treatment. I don’t like using the pads as I think they absorb the precious (and expensive!) product and also I prefer to use it all over my face as I have slight patches of pigmentation on my cheeks, forehead as well as freckles next to my eyebrow too . After I apply the serum on my clean face, it is left feeling slightly tacky in the first instance but this soon dries away. I like to wait a couple of minutes for it to fully absorb before apply my moisturiser and any other products.

I am most impressed about that it has done for my ‘laughter lines’ around my mouth. They aren’t really that bad as I am only 27, but I noticed when I wore make up these lines would be exaggerated. After about a week, I have noticed a real difference in that they now seem less prominent and have diminished somewhat in appearance. I think that there is also a similar product especially for the eye area, however, I have been mixing some of this solution in with my eye cream to hopefully get the same results!

As for its claims regards uneven skintone, I think it’s a bit early to determine its effectiveness. Nonetheless, I have seen some fading of a post-spot mark on my right cheek which I have had for ages which is positive and it has brightened my overall complexion to some extent. It’s also worth mentioning that my skin did react mildly at first, after the initial application I did have few little red bumps on my face but my skin soon got used to it and it’s no longer a problem.

I’m looking forward to continuing to use this and hope to a full review on this soon, but for now it’s so far so good!

                                                                                                                                                                 
Palmer’s Skin Therapy Oil

If you follow me on Instagram (@shradhas_skincare) you will see this appear a lot on my page. The Palmers Skin Therapy Oil is aimed at improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dry & damaged skin and uneven skin tone.

 

I primarily bought this oil to use on my body as extra nourishment for the winter months. I soon realised it left my skin feeling super soft and supple without any greasiness which I loved. I also noticed that it helped with my stretch marks slightly and other areas on uneven skintone on my body, well as much as a topical product can do anyway!

Unfortunately, in the past I have used Bio Oil on my face (big mistake) and I was left looking greasier then a deep fat fryer and it always caused me to have spots too. But as this oil felt so different, I decided to mix a little with my moisturiser for dewy skin during the day and on its own as an hydrating treatment before bed…I think I use it pretty much every day and my skin adores it.

It is light-weight ‘dry’ oil and has a slight golden colour with the classic Palmer’s cocoa butter scent. It rubs easily into the skin and takes little time to fully absorb. It makes a great facial oil as it contains some beneficial ingredients such as vitamin E , cocoa butter and rosehip, sesame and canola oils, ingredients which are found in many other premium facial oils.

For £7.49 (currently on offer at Boots) for 150ml is a great value for money, multipurpose oil which I would highly recommend for all skin types.

 

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

As you can probably tell, I am loving oils at the moment! I am a big fan of cleansing with oil, it’s a great way of efficiently but gently cleansing the skin. The Body Shop’s Camomile Cleansing Oil has remained a firm favourite of mine for a long time, it has quite the cult following as it works beautifully at removing make up and is affordable too (compared with high end cleansing oils!). It’s also ideal for those with sensitive skin types.

 

The product comes in a 200ml pump bottle and is a colourless light oil. It doesn’t a heavily perfumed scent, it has a subtle chamomile and floral smell to it which I don’t mind. I tend to use it in the evening as my first cleanse to remove my makeup. You don’t need to use a lot, a little goes a long way. I simply rub the oil onto my dry face and massage it in, focusing around my eyes to remove any stubborn eye makeup… I always end up looking like a panda! It does a good job of removing eye makeup, it does require some gentle rubbing for the oil to get to work on breaking down the makeup.  As soon as you add water it creates a milky emulsion which I  thoroughly rinse off.  It leaves my skin feeling very clean with no residue, some reviews have said it does leave a slight residue but I think this depends on how well you take it off. If you want your skin to be extra clean, you could always use a hot flannel to remove the product too. I always do a second cleanse after using this product as it creates the perfect base to use a cleanser more targeted towards specific skin concerns.

I think this cleansing oil is perfect for the colder months as it doesn’t leave my skin dry, tight  or irritated after use, it has just the right amount of nourishing ingredients to keep my skin feeling clean but well balanced. If you are new to oil cleansers, I would definitely give this a try. The Body Shop has 40% off deals on a regular basis so you can pick this up for around £7 (normally £11).

I hope you have enjoyed this post, please feel free to leave your comments below as always!

Xoxo

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover

I bought this eye makeup remover at the same time as the warming mineral mask (check out my review on this mask) as my ‘Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover’, which did a good job, ran out. 

I don’t tend to wear much lip and eye makeup on a daily basis. I mostly just wear tinted lip balm and a clear mascara, the odd time I will use the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara if I need something a bit more! However, if I am going out for an occasion or an event I try to make a bit more of effort with some eyeliner/eye shadow or a bold lip. So I decided to test it out when I had a lot more makeup up than usual to see just how well it performs.  

Firstly, I like the formula of the product as it is fragrance, colour and alcohol-free which I think is great for the eye and lip area. I know that some makeup remover products have a lotion or milky texture but I personally don’t find this comfortable to use especially around the eye area as it can irritate and leave you not being able to open your eyes to see what you’re doing! This product has water-like formulation which you apply with a cotton pad. When the product is sitting it is normally clear but when you shake it to activate the product, it becomes cloudy and a bit soapy looking too. 

Did it do a good job in removing all my eye and lip make-up? Well actually, it did a pretty good job. I found that it didn't take too much effort  (no harsh scrubbing!) to take off my makeup, I would recommend using at least two cotton pads for the eyes but one should be sufficient for the lip area. I like to press the cotton pad on my eye/lip area for a few seconds to let it really soak in. For me, it does what I need it to as I wash my face afterwards using a cleanser suitable for the eye area so I can get any remaining bits of the makeup (if there are any) off then too. I also found that it leaves my eyes and lips feeling fresh, clean and hydrated too and it doesn’t leave an oily residue as other products can do when they are heavily oil based.

I would say, for the price, this product is a good choice for those who wear wear light eye/ lip makeup daily or those who wear more ocassionally. 

What's your favourite makeup remover?

Xoxo

Review: The Body Shop Warming Mineral Mask

The Body Shop is quite renowned for its face masks and when this mask was available at a discounted price due to a payday sale at my office, I thought I would give it a try (along with some other unnecessary purchases too!).

The product is described as ‘This mask magically warms itself up as you smooth it on. With feel-good ginger, cinnamon oil, and kaolin clay to deep cleanse all skin types’. As the mask contains the ingredient Zeolite, this acts as the warming agent which gently heats on contact with your skin. The sensation is not uncomfortable or intense (at least not for me anyway) and I like to have a like have a lie-down whilst I have the mask on as I find it calming and like to pretend I’m at a spa!

To use the product, you simply wet your clean face and then apply the mask evenly making sure to cover areas such as around your nose, chin and forehead (of course, avoiding your eye area). It’s has quite a thin consistency for a mask so it glides onto the skin well. You can wash the product off after only 5 minutes if you wish but you can leave it on longer if you have the time, I wouldn’t really recommend for more than 20 minutes. The kaolin clay helps to give the skin a deep cleanse and unclogs pores from excess oils and other impurities. I find that it does a decent job of this and my pores do seem more purified, my skin is also left feeling smooth and refreshed too. I  like the fact that it doesn’t dry out my skin or make it feel tight, as some other clays masks can do, but I would still recommending using a moisturiser after.  I tend to use this mask at least once a week as part of my evening skin care routine to help remove any build up on my skin.

 

It’s worth mentioning that as this mask is intended to give your skin a deep cleanse, you may find that you get a few new spots after using it. I have noticed that this happened to me occasionally but I rather have my impurities being drawn out of my skin instead of sitting underneath it. Therefore, I wouldn’t really use this mask if I had an important occasion or event coming up… just in case!

If you are looking for an effective deep cleansing mask which is pleasant to use and affordable too, then give this a go. However, if you are looking for more dramatic or targeted results from your facial mask then this may not live up to your expectations.

I am thinking of trying out their 'Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask' at the next payday sale, the lady did quite a job of selling it to me and I have heard some good reviews about it too. Have you tried this mask, what do you think of it? I would love to read your comments!

Xoxo