The Simple Life: Simple Skincare Review

I really haven't been kind to my skin. I'm the first one to admit that I flit between whatever face cream is on my dresser and I am definitely that girl who is often too lazy to take her make-up off before she goes to bed.

Body Shop Face Loofahs

I forgot that I even owned these. I was rifling through a draw over the weekend and discovered a little beauty purchase that I hadn't used for a while and had forgotten to write about.

Avon and Gosh AW13 Press Day

I've not been to a press day for a while, I've been invited to a few, but I only tend to go if I feel there really is something there for me to learn or if I'm genuinely intrigued by a brand. As much as I love beauty stuff, I'm not really a fan of hoarding loads of free samples just for the sake of it

Gosh AW13
I decided to head to the Gosh AW13 press day as I knew they already did a range of BB creams that went darker than your usual drugstore options. I was hoping to see that they had expanded on this to include more shades. There were no BB creams but I was pleased to find a range of CC illuminating foundations in a range of shades however their darkest, 06 Golden just about worked for me - I took a quick snap of me wearing it- I've also got on a bit of the BB concealer pallettes that Gosh do. This wall all done by the make up artist

It was a shame to not see it taken further. While I was there I quizzed their makeup artists on why they didn't go darker. We had a nice conversation, where I vented about not being able to find drugstore options for all shades and brown and she totally agreed, saying that she'd been pushing for it for years and was going to keep on pushing!

Other than that there was a definite focus on metallics - both shiny, glittery and dull tones. There were also some amazing glitter nail varnished which gave a proper coating of glitter rather than the sporadic smattering you usually get - was a shame not to leave with a sample of those to be honest. There were also a new set of primers and an eyebrow kit that I want to try.

Avon AW13
This was a little bit of a Brucey bonus as the Avon press day was being held in the same building so we were invited to drop in after we'd visited Gosh. The main thing to say about Avon is COLOUR POP! The team have focused on making all of their products, from lip crayons to eye shadows and lipsticks highly pigmented. They've got a range of punchy eye shadow pallets with instructions on how to create the perfect smokey eye, and a beautiful golden set that I can see myself using this winter

They've also got a couple nifty gadgets such as this crazy new mascara.

I was lucky enough to pick up some goody bags so full reviews of individual products will come shortly.

Sleek Rose Gold Blush

I've been trying to get my hands on this bad-boy for a while. Because of its similarity to Nars Orgasm blusher, it seems to fly off the shelf as soon as it's stocked.

And I can see why its so popular. It gives the most beautiful golden, pink sun kissed glow to my cheeks. Perfect for summer.

I've even dapped a bit on my eyelids for a hint of pinky gold blush. Love it.

Sleek Rose Gold Blusher - £4.49

Yana Cosmetics - Foundation Review

Yana Cosmetics refer to themselves as the 'Authority On Multi Ethnic Make-Up'. They've got a selection of blushers, nail varnishes and lip glosses, however their stand out collection is the foundation range which come in 13 different shades spanning the spectrum of light to dark skin tones.

The downfall with ordering products online is that you can never tell the true shade or consistency. Yana have a fun shade guide which links their products to celebrities- check it out HERE - and you can order a few sample pots to test out which shade works for you. When I first opened the cute little tubs, I thought there was a mistake - surely they had sent me the same shade twice. When I put the product on my hand, I could see a slight difference - number 6 seemed to blend into my hand a little more so I thought that was the one for me. (Lighting in this pic isn't great)

Testing them on my face however - which is much darker than my hands - number 7 was a much better fit. The consistency of the foundation is quite thick, I found it easier to mix with a little moisturiser to loosen it up before applying. This also gave me the light coverage I was after.

I've been using the foundation for a little under a week now and I'm pretty impressed. My skin looks bright and even, and the foundation stayed put pretty much all day. I much rather having a product that I can mix with moisturiser for light coverage or use alone for more coverage if required.

A few improvements I'd like to see
Ingredients - The website doesn't list what's in the product, which can be tricky if you're trying to avoid certain ingredients.
SPF - I like to wear SPF on my face and lips everyday. I like it even better if my daily moisturiser, cosmetics or lip balms contain it.
Moisture - Whilst it looked great, my face did feel a little dry by the end of the day so I have to remember to moisturise well before applying. Would be good if it provided a bit more moisture.

For the price it's definitly worth ordering a sample or two to see how the products work for you.

Yana Cosmetics Foundation Samples - £1.50

Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream

It’s official. I’m getting old. I remember the days when I could go to sleep – face covered in all sorts of nasty eye makeup and bronzer from the night before wake up with no side effects other than a dirty pillow. If I were to try that nowadays, I’d wake up to dry, dull, spotty, angry skin and a dirty pillow.

So I decided it was time for a night cream, the one I really wanted was Neal’s Yard’s Vitamin E and Avocado Night Cream. I’d read some good reviews and when I tried it on the back of my hand in the shop it felt so thick and luscious I was sure it was the one. But for £21 a pot I thought I’d shop around to see if I could find anything cheaper before committing.

After busting open a few boxes in various shops to test the products – don’t pretend you haven’t done it – I finally found one under £5 which was close in texture to the Neal’s Yard version. All of the other cheaper products I’d tried were as thin as my day cream, which kinda defeats the point. Your night cream is designed to seep into your skin during your 8 hours of sleep. It’s there to offer intense moisture and restoration so it should feel much richer than your day cream. Plus this one got some extra points for being 93% organic. It also contains hyaluronic acid – meant to plump and soften skin - however for the price of the product I’m sure it’s less than half a drop.

I’ve been using it every night for around 10 days and so far this night cream has treated me pretty well. It feels pretty rich when it goes on, however by morning it has completely sunk into my skin. I have definitely noticed that my skin is softer in the morning. Not sure if it’s brighter, however my skin definitely feels in better condition than it used to the day after I’ve worn make up.

I am now a woman who needs a night cream! What next?!

Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream - £3.49 boots (on offer at the time of writing)

Dr Organic - Manuka Honey Skincare

After a week of getting the tube every day, I always feel like my skin needs a deep cleanse over the weekend in order to recover. I’d been using a Body Shop clay mask for a while, which was good, however I’ve had it for a long time and it was starting to tingle a little too much when I put it on so I figured it was time to replace it.

Dr Organic is a range that’s mainly found in Holland and Barrett, seduced by their buy one get one half price offer, I picked up a Manuka Honey Face Mask and Facial Scrub. Manuka honey is one of those magic ingredients that seems to do everything. It's a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and is also brilliant for restoring worn or damaged skin.

One thing I will write before I go on is that, despite the name, these products are not 100% Organic. The website states they use natural organic ingredients wherever possible so if you're looking for a pure organic product, you may want to check the labels to be sure. 

Face Mask
This is clay based, however itsn’t as thick as ones I’ve used before, that does mean that it’s really easy to apply and take off so I reckon it's a plus. The packet claims to draw oils from the skin, as well as ridding the skin surface of dead skin. My skin does feel clean and VERY soft afterwards, almost naturally soft as if my skin has been covered with a fine, but ultra smooth layer of plastic. 

The Facial Scrub

This is pretty good too. It contains a mixture of smaller, salt sized grains along with larger brown sugar sized ones.  I tend to use this a few times a week, mainly at night. I’m still using Dermalogicas Microfoliant as my daily morning face scrub. The product lists all sorts of crazy ingredients like volcanic lava, corn cob and ground fruit seeds as well s the expected manuka honey. You do get a very good clean using this face scrub, but again my skin felt so soft it was almost worrying.

Both products smell absolutely amazing, and the scents are naturally sourced so shouldn't be too harmful for those with sensitive skin. After a few uses, I've stopped questioning the super soft feeling and have grown to love it. It doesn't last all day, and you still need to moisturise, but it certainly makes you feel like you're doing your skin some good. 

Dr Organic Manuka Skincare - From £5.99

Nivea Express Primer Review

Once again I got sucked into a recent marketing ploy which made me feel as though I must, must, must be using a primer. However, on second thought I reckoned that trying a primer may not be such a bad things.

Why Use a Primer? 
Primers are one of those beauty tools that some people swear by and others don't bother with at all because they don't see the point (I've always fallen into the latter category). They can come in a cream or gel form but they all tend to work in the same way. Here's the point.
   Providing a smooth base for applying makeup
   Minimising pores
   Evening skin tone
   Helps make-up last longer
   Provides a protective barrier between skin and make-up

While most primers should be used after you've moisturised, Nivea have gone a step further by combining your primer with a daily moisturiser. This lotion can be used with or without make up to both moisturise skin and provide a base for anything you want to put on top. Here's what I thought.

In General
The packaging on this bad boy is a little deceiving, the tub is nowhere near as big as the box suggests.

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That said, the formula is light and easy to apply and little goes a long way, so the 50ml should last a long time. I bought the version for dry/sensitive skin so was surprised to smell that the product still had quite a definite Nivea scent. Not sure how well that would go down with people who actually have sensitive skin

As a moisturiser
I've been using this every day for a week in place of my usual moisturiser - Clinique's Dramatically Different Lotion - which is great but costly. So far it's worked just as well, it deals with my dry skin in the morning without leaving me oily by the end of the day.

As a primer
I've used this a twice over the past week under my usual set of make-up - Maybelline BB cream and Naturals Cream blusher. I applied the primer then waited the recommended 5 minutes before applying anything else, I didn't notice any change in the application of the products. On a work day I usually I find that my make-up has pretty much faded away by 2-3pm. However, after using the primer, did last a few hours longer than usual. However if you want all day staying power and a smoother base, you may want to team this with a dedicated primer.

For the price, this is definitely a keeper for every day use.

What primer do you swear by?

Nivea Express Primer Dry/Sensitive - £3.99 Superdrug

Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion

I've been using this product on and off for around two years, but I've never actually bought it. That's because twice a year or so Clinique do their 'buy two products and get some samples' promotion and this is nearly always one of the products. The products in the background were part of the same freebie collection and were all presented in a pretty floral tin.

I tend to have quite dry skin (especially in the winter), however if my moisturiser is too heavy, I'm left oily by the afternoon.

This light, yellow lotion is recommended for dry/very dry skin. I apply it all over giving extra care to my dry areas (forehead) and going lightly over the areas which are prone to oiliness (nose). The product absorbs immediately and I find it leaves my skin balanced all day.

It is recommended that you use it twice a day, but to save on the product I only use it in the morning. A little bit really does go a long way so the samples do last me quite a while.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who has dry and sensitive skin. In true Clinique style, this product is allergy tested and 100% fragrance free so shouldn't irritate the skin.

Down side? The price. At £17.00 for a full size bottle, you can appreciate why I'm holding on to my samples for dear life!

Foundation Brush

I'm a total sceptic when it comes to most things, especially when those things require me to spend money. I've always pooh-poohed the idea of needing a set of fancy make-up brushes and applicators to stick on some slap. I figured that the Good Lord gave me 10 fingers so that would do me just fine.

I don't wear foundation, I never have - but from time to time I do wear my BB cream when I'm after a more polished finish to my skin. Up until today, I've been applying my BB cream with my God-given digits, but after reading an article suggesting that I really should be using a brush I decided to give it a go.

Low and behold it actually made a difference. I felt like I got a more even coverage which blended in properly leaving me with a more even tone. I definitely use less than I normally would which is all good on the money saving/not clogging up my skin front. Not to mention I felt rather grown up and fancy using it (yes, I am aware of how ridiculous that sounds at the age of 26).

The bristles are soft but dense which seems good enough to me, but then I'm not really sure what a good foundation brush should feel like. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Foundation Brush - £3.99 Superdrug

Time To Exfoliate

As part of the November Glossybox I received a sample size of Dermologica's increasingly popular Microfoliant.

I was a little bit sceptical as I always felt that an exfoliator should be full of rock like chunks if it was to have any chance of really cleaning my skin. This Microfoliant comes in the form of a fine loose powder, I’d liken the grain to somewhere between caster sugar and talc powder.

The instructions say to pour a teaspoon size amount into a damp hand, add a sprinkle of water then rub to make a paste. After a few failed attempts – resulting in a watery mixture that was too thin to spread on my face – I found that it was enough to just pour the powder into damp hands and then rub to make a paste. You’re instructed to massage the paste onto your face, leave for a minute then rinse off.

My skin felt tight afterwards, in the way that it does after a really good cleanse so I had to moisturise immediately but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I find my skin had a polished look, and felt really smooth.

I used the product every day for a week, then took a break and went back to my usual routine. During this time I had a few boozy eves which led to an inevitable bout of dry spotty skin. So I went back to the microfoliant and after two days I could see a noticeable difference. Not the most scientific of tests but it’s enough for me.

And on top of all that I found the product fun to use, took me back to being 10 years old and making ‘beauty’ concoctions in my bathroom sink using all of the shower gels and face products I could find. Sorry mum.

If you like the feel of a daily exfoliator but you've got sensitive skin I would definitely give this a try. It’s an investment, but I think it’s worth it.

Dermalogica Microfoliant – Around £29.00 online

Handbag Minis - part 1

 I'm always  looking for small beauty products that I can keep in my bag for emergencies.

On my hunt for a mini moisturiser to see me through winter I came across this Vitamin E infused skin oil in Superdrug.

It's a light oil that feels (and smells) a little like baby oil. I've tried baby oil on my face before but it just leaves it dry again after a few hours.

Not sure if it's got any active ingredients in that are actually good for my skin, however it kept my skin soft all day. I'm pretty sure you can use it as an all over oil too so it's good for those embarrassing dry hands/elbows moments in winter. Don't pretend you haven't been there.

It's a nice product - and more importantly the right size - to keep in your bag for emergencies.

Currently on offer in Superdrug for £1.99. Can't really complain about that.

Light It Up

Every three months or so Clinique run an offer giving away an incredible selection of samples when you buy two of more products. Usually, one of these products has to be skin care and considering I tend to run out of my Clarifying Lotion every 3 months, I’m only too happy to take them up on their offer.

And yes, I have been known to struggle for a week or two (or three!) without my toner whilst I wait for their next offer. I’m a sucker for a freebie, what can I say.

So. This month, I picked up my usual Clarifying Lotion and also chose their Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator in Natural.

I’ve been using it to highlight my cheeks bones and I’ve also been using it on my eye lids. I’m not a big wearer of eyeshadow, but this gives a really lovely sheen to the lid and brow bone without being too glittery.  

The mixture is a little runny, but mixing it with a little moisturiser or BB Cream helps to thicken it up so it can be applied all over the face easily to give a really nice glow

This Illuminator also comes in a darker plummy shade which I’d like to test out too. I reckon that would look great on the cheeks for a more intense evening look.

At £21, it’s not cheap, but to be fair to the product it doesn’t feel cheap either. It’s light, stretches quite far and lasts all day. 

BB for BB

A while ago I tested out Garnier BB cream in medium. It was ok but I wasn't over thrilled with it and I didn't get that glow that other bloggers professed to have.

Clearly I was using the wrong colour.

Maybellines BB Cream in Dark is more up my pigment ally. It's a much lighter formula than Garnier, perhaps even a little runny, however it moisturises my skin really well. I don't look like I'm wearing make-up when I've got it on but I think I definitely look bright - glow achieved! Plus it contains 30 SPF which - for a burner like me - is an nice added bonus

£7.99 - Bargain

BB Cream

So here’s how it happened. I was on my way to work one fine Wednesday morning when I realised I missed out an important stage of my skin care routine – moisturising. I’d used my Clinque Clarifying Lotion, and then stepped out of the house with bare skin. As you can imagine, in this crisp spring weather my skin soon felt like a sheet of sandpaper. So enroute to the station, I nipped in Superdrug where I was planning to buy a cheapish moisturiser that I could keep on my desk at work for further acts of stupidy.

Low and behold, Garniers BB Cream was just sitting on the shelf staring at me. I've been intrigued by BB creams since they came out but I didn't think that any of them on the market would work on black skin. A few of my friends of a paler persuasion had tried them and loved them, but I wasn't sure. 

I tested out the medium shade on the back of my hand and it seemed to blend in well without leaving my skin with an ashy grey complexion. I was presently surprised, I needed to moisturise and it was on offer, so I thought what the hell.

I have never ever worn a foundation and to be honest I don’t ever plan on wearing one. But this, I could get used to.

Here are my major plus points

• It definitely moisturised my skin
• It contains an SPF with is always good
• It blended in well – didn’t leave me looking grey

The negatives

• I didn’t see that ‘glow’ that other bloggers talk about. If anything I found it more matifiying. Maybe if they bring out the product in ‘dark’ I would get more a glow from it…..

I definitely feel like it’s provided me with a more even base and it doesn’t look as if I’ve got anything on my face. I also feel like it has helped to calm down some of the redder parts of my skin – or maybe it’s just the hype talking!

Either way, I think I’ll be using it again. Maybe not every day but definitely when I’m after that fresh faced look.

Smashing News

I’m sure I’m not the first to report this, however I’ve only just found out so to me – it’s NEWS.

American make up brand Smashbox Cosmetics have launched a BB Cream in 5 different shades from light to dark. The dark it still quite a medium brown but it’s definitely a push in the right direction

I tried out Garnier’s BB Cream in medium recently and it wasn’t too bad for my skin tone, but if I had any more melanin it would be a no-no (full review up tomorrow).

Not sure how long this will take to filter over to the few retailers selling it in the UK. This may have to be an ‘order from the US’ job

I then found out that Smashbox Cosmetics will be launching a UK based site very soon. I know you can buy from the American site and a few retailers here there, but it will be nice to have a dedicated UK site.  

They've got a holding page up and you can sign up for a newsletter that will let you know when they’re up and running.  The confirmation email even mentions something about samples – definitely looking forward to that one!

www.smashbox.co.uk  

The Shame Game

So, you've been washing your own face for what, like 20+ years? You think you've got the gig down to a fine art, scrub, scrub, scrub, dry, dry, dry – done. You've even splashed out on a few fancy exfoliators to give your skin that extra srcubed up treatment and you’re feeling pretty damn good about your shiny, cleansed mug.

Then you meet this bad boy and the shame sets in.

Clinique's Clarifying Lotion is an exfoliator which contains no scrubby little particles so you’d be forgiven for thinking that it is a toner as the clear liquid swishes around in its fancy frosted bottle.

You use it just as you would a toner, splash some on cotton ball then sweep over the face.‘In an upwards direction’ Mr BB tells me as to 'delay the onset of wrinkles and sagging'. How does he know this stuff!?

Then, I advise you take a deep breath before looking at your cotton pad because chances are the you'll see the evidence of all the dirt and grime your skin has been harbouring despite your best scrubbing efforts.

I blame London pollution.

I don't know the secret behind Cliniques Exofilators all I know is that number 2 for dry combination skin works for me. If you have very dry/ sensitive skin you may not want to use this more than a few times a week, however mine skin is pretty robust so I can get away with using it every day. Must keep the grime at bay.

As with most exfoliators don't forget to moisturise right after or you will be in dry skin city.

Happy cleaning!

How Now, New Brow?!

My eyebrows have been a subject of disdain for many, manyyears. The actual shape of them doesn’t trouble me; I much prefer a fuller,bolder brow to skinny non existent ones. The issue is that the hair of my eyebrows is as curly as the hair on my head, so they never lie flat. I’ve triedeverything in an attempt to make them stay put. I’m talking Vaseline, cocobutter, hair gel and hair spray, but nothing works. So I’ve spent the last 25 years walking around like this.

Sleek Eyebrow Kit - Dark

And the last 4 years with Mr Brown Beauty trying to smooth my eyebrows down every half an hour. Not so good for the self esteem is that.

So, when I was browsing the Sleek website in search of my product lust, I came across their relatively new eyebrow kit. I got to Googling and found some positive blogger reviews so I decided to give it a go. The kit is designed to be kept in your handbag at all times.It comes with a pair of mini tweezers, a wax, a powder and a brush to use with each of them. The kit also comes in light and dark – I used the dark one.

Before

After

I did have my reservations; a very good friend of mine regularly leaves her eyebrow on your cheek if you hug her too hard. Not a good look. Thankfully that didn't happen and the wax kept my eyebrows in place all day. Occasionally a bit of powder came off if I rubbed my eyebrow but it wasn’tnoticeable. I guess I’ll just have to learn not to do that from now on if I am to permanently pursue perfect eyebrows – which I think I am.

My Saving Grace

I may be relatively naive when it comes to make up, however there are a few products that I know and love and will probably use them forever more. When it comes to skin care, my saving grace is St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub. The packaging says that it should be used 3-4 times a week, however I use it most days as I have a tendency to have quite dry skin and it benefits from regular exfoliation.

I’ve tried other exfoliating face washes over the years– mainly when I was a poor student and didn’t want to stretch to £4.50 for a bottle of the good stuff– however nothing works as well. In times of hardship I’ve even been known to purchase a travel bottle the stuff and make it stretch until payday.

St Ives is the only one that’s got particles big enough to make it feel as though it’s actually doing something. I’ve used some seriously poor ones over time – I won’t name and shame – that feel as though they’ve barely scratched the surface.

Superdrug are currently doing buy one get one free on a range of St Ives goodies. You can get this offer in-store and online, so if you're a St Ives fan go stock up. I did yesterday!

Cheers to St Ives!