Mini review: Clearasil Refreshing Superfruit Pads

I first heard about these pads from the skincare guru that is Caroline Hirons and soon started to see other skincare bloggers use them too. I haven’t used a Clearasil product in a few years, I always associated them with only catering for teenage/spotty/oily skin types so I thought it would just be too harsh and overly drying for my skin. However, I saw them on eBay for £2.50 (including delivery) and quickly snapped them up!

 

The product is described as ‘gentle exfoliating pads help prevent blemishes for radiant skin day after day.  Containing a blend of raspberry & cranberry extracts, known for their antioxidant properties and Vitamin B3.  These exfoliating pads are infused with a refreshing fragrance you will enjoy using every day’. The formula also has 1% salicylic acid included.

 

The pads come in a tub and are pre-soaked with an exfoliating ‘waffle’ like texture. There is a quite a strong fruity scent which some may be put off by but I personally don’t find it offensive. They are suitable to use morning and evening but I only really tend to use them in the morning after cleansing as they feel refreshing on the skin. They do a good job of gently treating any current blemishes (with the help of the salicylic acid) and keeps the skin in a nicely balanced and smooth too. I don’t find these pads to be drying, instead my skin feels quite soft and plump after use. There’s a slightly sticky feeling at first but this soon goes away and gives a really nice base for layering your moisturiser on top. My only gripe is that the texture of the pad is quite rough so it feels scratchy.  I therefore dab the pad on my skin on rather than swipe it across my face. I like to hold down the pad on any blemishes to let it really soak in.

 

Overall, I am impressed with this product by Clearasil, it’s great to see an effective formula at a budget price making it amazing value for money. If you are new to acid exfoliating/toning, I would really recommend them and they are gentle too so would suit most skin types.

As always, please feel free to leave any comments of questions!

XoXo

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

I was lucky enough to win the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm in a giveaway contest by Beauty By The Geeks (I love their blog and Instagram page too!)

I have used it roughly every night for 3 weeks now so I thought a review on this was much needed. This cleansing balm claims be ‘a balanced daily cleanser that thoroughly cleanse deep in the pores, moisturises and calms all skin types. Grape Seed Oil and sweet almond oil rich in essential fatty acids help to plump and soften. Moringa seed extract, wild sea fennel and vitamin E balance, purify and help to minimise the appearance of open pores. Essential oils of orange, neroli and mandarin rejuvenate and revitalise the skin whilst calming the senses. Jasmine and rose help to recondition dull, dry, dehydrated and mature skins'. 

 The product comes in a heavy glass jar which looks and feels luxurious. I quite like that you can see all of the product and you can scrape every bit out of it too! The texture is quite solid when cold but becomes much softer when its warmed up in the hands. The scent is quite heavy with the main ingredient, moringa. This along with other flower and plant ingredients makes it smell very exotic and reminds me of India strangely! To use the balm, I take a small amount and lightly warm it in my hand before applying it to my face. The consistency then turns to what is very similar to an oil and massages into the skin beautifully. As I use it in the evening, I like to take to take a bit of extra time to really work it into my skin. The product comes with a cleansing cloth which is dual sided, one side is muslin which is to exfoliate dry, thickened and congested areas and the other side is micro-fibre for more delicate areas. I really like this cloth and its great quality too and it is perfect for removal. That being said, on days where I put this cloth in the wash, I use other muslin clothes that I have accumulated and they seem to do a pretty decent job too.

As the product claims to lift and sculpt the face, it’s key to use the cloth certain way and this is in a upwards motion from your chin to your temple. You really want to swipe upwards in all areas of the face as well as the neck too, this goes with any cleansing balm really. I have noticed that my face does seem slightly more sculpted and toned but I wouldn’t say this is one of the balms main highlights. The things I love are...

• One of the best products to use when you want to give yourself a good facial massage and is honestly a pleasure to use
• Does a great job of removing all make up and it is gentle enough to use around the eye and lip area too
• Cleanses and purifies the skin perfectly without being harsh or irritating the skin
• Provides just the right amount of moisture and plumpness to my skin
• Doesn’t leave an oily/tacky residue (if removed properly!)
• Rejuvenates the appearance my skin and leaves me with a beautifully clean glow
• After continued use, my skin is left smoother, more clarified and with an improvement in my skins texture
• For days when you really need it (or for extra dry skin types),  you can use it as a deep hydration treatment mask by just leaving it on the skin for 10 mins

I think there quite a lot to love really! However, I do have some slight niggles. There are some days where I just feel this is slightly too heavy for my skin. It is summer right now and I do have combination skin (more oiler then dry) and there a days where I want my skin to feel fresh and not so deeply nourished. I think that this will be fantastic the winter where this is much more needed! I have read some reviews that due to all the essential oils, it may cause you to have breakouts. I (touch wood!) haven’t had this problem as my skin wouldn’t be classed as ‘blemish prone’ and it’s not very sensitive either.  As everyone has different skin and it reacts differently to products, I can’t really guarantee that this won’t give you spots but it’s worth checking out to see if you may have any reactions or allergies to the ingredients before you decide to purchase it.  

For those with oilier skin types, I believe that you can still use this product but just more sparingly. I would never recommend anything that strips the skin of every single bit of oil, your skin will just produce more oil to compensate and your left with more oilier skin than you had in the first place. The aim with any cleanser is to balance the oils in the skin, whatever your skin type. The main reason why I use it in the evening is that it does require the extra effort to really get the benefits. I personally don’t have time in the morning for the application and removal processes involved! So if you are after a totally fuss-free cleanser then I’m not sure you will appreciate the time you will have to spend using this. 

As I mentioned, I didn’t have to pay for this product but if I did it would cost me £38 for 100ml. Obviously this is not cheap and if you are in the habit of buying cleansers for a couple of quid then this may seem very steep or just out of your budget. That being said, I do think the product will last you quite some time. In the time that I have used it, I have made just a little dent in it. I would guesstimate that if I used it once on a daily basis then it would last me between 4 to 6 months, which is pretty good in my books. You don’t have to use it every day like I do, even 2 or 3 times a week will really help to improve your skin, this way it will last you even longer too! If you really want to try this cleanser but aren’t quite ready to splurge £38 on this cleansing balm, it may be worth considering trying the ‘starter kit’ which contains a smaller size of the balm (50ml), the cloth and a 15ml age support treatment cream. I just had a look online and M&S are currently offering this starter kit for £18.40 (usually £23) on their website which is very good value for money!

To conclude this review, whilst I really do enjoy using this cleansing balm and works beautifully for my skin, I’m not 100% sure if I would immediately repurchase it after I run out. I love trying out new products and there are still many balms I would really like to try out (such as Eve Lom)… butif all else fails and I’m left feeling disappointed at least I know I can come back to this one!

Hope you found this helpful, if you have any questions, suggestion or comments I would love to read them below!

X0x0

Alpha-H Liquid Gold - Perfect skin in a bottle

I follow many skincare and beauty bloggers and I have seen the Alpha H Liquid Gold mentioned everywhere! I did my research on the benefits and also it's ingredients and having read so many reviews that raved about this product that I just had to try it.

 

The product is described as ‘A powerful overnight serum. An 'overnight facial', the pioneering formula is a phenomenal, leave on, 'sleep in' liquid peel, which swiftly (and dramatically) revitalises dulled, ageing skin that's lost its lustre, whilst gradually lessening the visibility of fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, blackheads, blemishes, pigmentation, scarring and redness. In fact, there's virtually nothing this skin care miracle can't accomplish.’ 

It's basically a chemical exfoliation which resurfaces the skin using acids so it's different to a scrub exfoliator which contains particles or beads. I much prefer using a chemical exfoliator as I find a scrub exfoliator too abrasive, it makes my blemishes more red and sore. I'm also more likely to get scarring as the skin gets damaged in the process. Alpha H state that it is intended for ‘mature, sun damaged, prematurely ageing and acne-scarred skin’ but I would say it is suitable for all skin types except those with sensitive skins.

 

With a description like that, needless to say, I had very high expectations. I decided to go for the 200ml size (priced  at £44.95) and I purchased it online from Beauty Bay, and yes I know, it’s not cheap! Firstly, I love the packaging. The bottle has smooth matte finish and feels premium. The product dispenses via a pour cap which lets to control how much you want to use, you wouldn’t want any to go to waste believe me! It is a clear liquid with quite a strong acidic smell which is to be expected as it contains glycolic acid as well as liquorice extract. To use the product, you simply pour onto a cotton ball/pad and sweep across the face and neck area too. I like to press down my cotton pad for a few seconds longer on my problem areas. To get the maximum benefits, it’s best not to follow with any product such as a serum or moisturiser on top. It is recommended by Alpha H that you use the product in the evening for 3 to 4 times a week, or every other night. I must admit it is addictive and you may be tempted to use it more regularly but as it’s so potent it best to follow this recommendation. I would also like to highlight the importance of protecting your skin with SPF products, you should be doing this any way but it’s even more essential if you are using this product. I recently had a microdermabrasion facial so I stopped using the liquid gold for a while beforehand as it’s probably not a good idea to put my skin through a chemical peel and then blast it with an abrasive treatment on top! 

Now let’s talk about my experience of using the product for nearly a month now. On the nights which I use the liquid gold, I like to use a really mild cleanser before applying the product. The first time I used it I definitely felt it tingling away on my face! That same feeling occurs every time I use it and must admit sometimes it does get quite intense but it soon goes away. On the morning of the first night using the product, I was very impressed. I honestly don’t think I have come across a product that had worked so well and so quickly too! My skin appeared much more brighter and radiant and if did an amazing job of smoothing and refining my skin. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to use it again.

 

Just before I started using the product, I had lumps on my forehead, I mean actual lumps! They were unlike any blemishes I had before, they were so stubborn and refused to either come up or go down and this went on for a couple of weeks (I blame it on having a recent diet of an excessively indulgent food !). However, it all changed after I used the liquid gold. It took a few applications but it totally got rid of these lumps and left no dark spots whatsoever. I really wasn't expecting this to happen and I realised that was worth every penney I spent on it! I also noticed what a wonderful job it has done on a few dark spots on my skin. I had a mark from a blemish near my cheek area which has been around for months but just a few weeks of using this product it's almost invisible now. It's really great to know that when I get a blemish, I have a product which will work its magic on making it disappear! The overall texture of my skin is now soft, smooth and looks as though it's been polished! My skin is looking the best it has been for a long time and I still notice a glow every morning when I use it. 

Have I raved about it enough yet?? In amongst all the love I have for this product, I have just one thing which makes me every so slightly disappointed. I have noticed that it does make my skin more oilier then usual. I think others have experienced this too. I'm not sure why this happens and how to stop it but luckily I don't have very oily skin so I can get away with using a mattifying primer or powder on top. However, I have also read that it's works really well for oily skin types so I really think it depends how your skin behaves when using it. 

As you can probably tell, I can't recommend the liquid gold enough! I think everyone should have a bottle and have the pleasure of using it just like I do. 

I hope that this product review has been helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions, I would love to read your comments and experiences too!

Xoxo 

Disappointing products – Soap & Glory Face Soap and Clarity, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and DermaE Overnight Peel

In amongst my many face washes, I have Soap & Glory’s Face Soap and Clarity face wash. I bought this product as a last-minute purchase at the airport to use during a short break to Athens.  The product is described as being a ‘3-in-1 daily face wash with ultra-soft, jojoba scrub-beads, plus super-tasking vitamins, minerals, amino acids and Soap & Glory’s exclusive YUZU complex. It cleans and purifies skin, effortlessly removes make-up, and gently exfoliates.’ It also claims to include pigmentation-preventing antioxidants and is strategically formulated for oily/combination skin. I don’t particularly have oily skin but thought it would be good for my husband to use.  

The product has quite a strong scent, it’s minty and quite chemically in my opinion. Whilst it does contain jojoba beads intended to exfoliate the skin, there doesn’t seem to be many of them and are much too soft to be effective. Whenever I use this product I just feel like it is very superficial in that it doesn’t do anything to benefit my skin and it leaves it dry, tight and dull looking (the same can be aid for my husband’s experience of using it too). At the time I had a couple of blemishes, I thought the product would help to clear these up slightly but it really didn’t do anything at all. It also does a bad job of removing my make-up as my towel has traces of make-up on it after washing my face…don’t even think about getting it near your eyes it won’t do anything except really sting! As for the pigmentation preventing antioxidants, I can’t say that I have found this to be true either.  I honestly can’t think of one positive point about this product, unfortunately I think it will just sit on my shelf and maybe used in an extreme skincare emergency.  

My next disappointing product is Mario Badescu’s drying lotion. I gave into the hype about how great this product was and decided to give it a go. It is made up of calamine, sulphur and salicylic acid so it’s potent stuff.  It’s a strange formula with a watery substance and a pink sediment-like texture at the bottom of a small glass bottle. You have to dip a cotton bud into the pink stuff at the bottom and apply it directly to your spot. It’s supposed to working by shrinking the blemish by drawing out impurities from the skin. I have used it a few times now and I’m not really impressed by it. It does slightly dry the skin which helps the healing process but it hardly did anything to reduce the size of the blemish. Another thing is that it seems to come off quite quickly, it forms a bit of a crusty layer but I have found that it’s pretty much all gone after I wake up the next day so I’m not sure it stays on long enough to really be effective. As it is so potent, if you don’t like strong smells I think it will put you off wanting to use this. I honestly think the Freederm’s fast track treatment gel and Neutrogena’s visibly clear rapid clear treatment do a better job at reducing the redness and size of my blemishes, plus they have a transparent gel consistency so I can use them during the day unlike this product (I don’t really go for the ‘pink splodges on my face’ look!).  I will probably use it up but I doubt very much I would purchase it again. 

Lastly, it is Derma E Overnight Peel. Paula’s Choice has given this product 4 stars and calls it a ‘well-formulated AHA lotion with 5% glycolic acid plus lower amounts of the lesser-known AHA ingredients lactic and malic acids, all formulated at an effective pH of 3.’  It claims to reveal dramatically fresher, newer skin. With every use, skin tone becomes more radiant, pigmentation is evened and age spots are visibly diminished. I saw this product on Amazon for about £12 so I thought, given the great review, I would purchase it. It is a gel formula which is to be applied as your last step in your evening skincare routine. I definitely felt it tingling on my skin and so I thought that it must be doing something, I had high hopes and used it on a regular basis as recommend. Every time I used it, I woke up in the morning hoping to see some improvements to my skin, even though I really tried to be positive about it, I really couldn’t tell a difference in my skin even after regular use. It did nothing to renew my skin or help with pigmentation in the slightest and I just couldn’t understand what benefits came from using it. As a result, I hardly ever use this peel now (sometimes I use it to give it another chance) and I have come across far superior overnight peel products which are more expensive but they actually work.  Note to self… Paula isn’t always right! 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? 

Xoxo

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser

Due to the enormous popularity of Liz Earle’s hot cloth cleanser, many have followed suit including Superdrug with their Vitamin E version. I really like the Vitamin E range in Superdrug as it is so affordable compared with other similar products.  I tried looking on the Superdrug website for this cleanser but I only found the ‘Naturally Radiant’ hot cloth cleanser which differs from this one. I bought mine store for £4.99 and its comes in a 200ml tube.

 

This cleanser has a very thick and creamy consistency which feels lovely when massaging into the skin. I believe it is most effective when used on a dry to damp face and it is gentle enough to use around the eyes and lip area too. After applying to the cleanser, you remove it with the muslin cloth (this comes with the product), I like to soak mine in very hot water and just leave it on my face for a little while before gently removing the cleanser with it. Some people have commented on the smell but I don’t find it particularly offensive (it’s like sunscreen and coconuts apparently?), I use some potent stuff on my face so this doesn’t bother me in the slightest!

 

Whenever I use hot cloth cleansing balms, not just this one, what I find really annoying is the fact that need to wash the cloth very often. Personally, I really don’t like to using the cleanser on a full face of make up as the cloth gets so dirty that I hate using the cloth again with it going in the washing machine first! To ensure that my cloth doesn’t get so gross, I like to remove the majority of makeup beforehand with either a makeup remover or wipes (the only time when I use wipes!!) and then follow it with the cleanser. Whilst this is an extra process, this way my skin is super clean and the cloth can be used for longer as it isn’t full of makeup.

 

I think it does I good job of making my skin feel refreshed, smooth and nourished, it has helped to improve the overall texture of my skin too. It contains some really great ingredients in addition to the Vitamin E which makes it suitable for all skin types. I like to use it in the evening because it so gentle and it’s very much needed before I apply my AHA Liquid Gold (review on this coming soon!).

 

The amount of product you get is amazing for the price and I would definitely recommend this product if you are new to hot cloth cleansers and are interesting in seeing how they work for your skin.

 

Which hot cloth cleansers are your favs? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

 

Xoxo

La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Serum

I recently went through a phase of getting patches of post-spot scarring which refused to fade away! I did a bit of research which products would be best for this but this was actually bought on a whim after browsing the aisles of my local Boots.

La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Serum is described as ‘an intensive serum with patented innovation to reduce the appearance of pigmentation. With a gentle moisturising fluid texture and specially formulated for sensitive skin. Skin tone looks more even and radiant. Complexion looks brighter and more even, pigmentation irregularities appear significantly reduced.’

 

The product is a light serum and has luminous appearance so it instantly makes your skin hydrated and leaves you with a lovely glow.  It blends into the skin very nicely and has a subtle scent which is quite pleasant. It comes in a handy (and hygienic) pump glass bottle and 1-2 pumps is sufficient for the face and neck area. 

After using it for about 6 weeks (a bit on and off if I’m honest), I think it’s been long enough to share my thoughts. The good points are; the serum contains clinically tried and tested ingredients targeted for pigmentation, it instantly brightens your skin on application, it didn’t break me out and it works! The serum contains a high concentration of beta-lipohydroxy acid (LHA) which gently exfoliates and removes bacteria from the surface of the skin, it is also the key ingredient found in their cult Effaclar products. It also contains B vitamin niacinamide, which research has shown can improve excess melanin production, lessening and potentially eliminating dark spots. Whilst there have been some reviews to suggest there are ingredients which may irritate the skin, I didn’t find this to be an issue and had no breakouts as a result of using this product, a major plus for me. I have also found that it clams and soothes any redness from blemishes, I think this is probably due to the LHA ingredient. 

As I have used it for a while now, I can quite confidently say that the product does go some way in delivering its promises. It’s worth mentioning that pigmentation can be hereditary more and if you are using products to target pigmentation they should be used religiously and over a long period of time to see any real benefits, it simply can’t be done overnight. I have noticed the areas where I had scarring haven’t totally disappeared but have lightened and become less visible. Aside from the scarring, I do have patches of pigmentation and some freckles (thanks mum!), I also found that the serum helped diminish and improve the clarity of these areas too.

 

However, I do have some negatives points too. I find that it makes my skin slightly oily. I started to use it during the day, mixed with my moisturiser, underneath my foundation and noticed there was a bit of shine around my nose and forehead. At first, I thought it was due to my foundation but one day I skipped using the serum and realised there wasn’t as much oiliness on my face. Since then, I have only been using it as part of my evening skincare routine and if I do use it during the day I make sure to use a transparent mattifying powder to combat any extra oils but still take advantage from the luminosity it gives my skin. 

I bought this serum for £30 ( I think it’s on sale for about £20 online right now, typical!) and I do think it is on the expensive side considering there is only 30ml of product. I know there many products targeted at pigmentation on the market which are a lot more expensive but I feel like for the price, this serum should be doing a bit more for me then what it actually does. Whilst I do enjoy using it, I am not really sure if I would repurchase only because I believe in switching up my skincare products to see real changes in my skin. However, if you are looking for something which will gradually help with minor areas of pigmentation whilst being gentle on your skin then I would recommend this. If you are need of an industrial strength formula to target larger and darker areas of pigmentation then I feel you may be disappointed.

 

I hope this review has been informative and useful too. Please feel free to comment below!

 

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