Philosophy Purity Cleanser

Philosophy

Purity Cleanser and Facial Wipes

$39

When I saw these on offer in Macy's for the same price for just the cleanser but getting the wipes free I straight away picked it up

I've been wanting to try the Purity cleanser for so long and was determined to pick some up in New York

I know make up wipes aren't ideal for removing your face on a daily basis but on those nights where you're crawling in from a few too many bevvies surely it's better to use one of these instead of sleeping in your make up?

I've found these to be really effective, they don't leave any trace of makeup on my skin so I don't wake up with panda eyes

My skin does actually feel extremely cleansed, a lot more so than when I ever use a normal wipe

I like these but I haven't seen them online anywhere to repurchase

The actual cleanser is as amazing as I thought it would be

I've been using it on the 4 out of 7 days a week I don't use the Elemis Tri Enzyme facial wash

It's extremely gentle on the skin so doesn't aggravate my temperamental face but it also delivers a thorough cleanse and leaves the skin super clean

It melts away make up with ease and hydrates lightly too

Definitely don't regret purchasing the large size, this will last me a wee while!

Have you tried any of the philosophy skincare?

Love

Belle

xoxo 

Elemis Skincare Routine

Elemis Skincare

Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash £29.00 200ml

Pro-Collagen Marine Cream £79.00 50ml

Absolute Eye Serum £28.00 15ml

As I mentioned in a few previous posts whilst on the cruise ship I had a lovely facial to help my problematic skin using lots of Elemis products

This was my first experience of Elemis and I think I may be hooked...this could proove quite pricey!

So my skin problem is mainly concentrated in one area, my right cheek, however I get the odd mini breakout on my other oily areas

The therapist sat down with me and we addressed the main concerns and what needs working on, she even drew me a really simple diagram of the skin and all of it's layers

She explained how normal, cosmetic skincare only reaches the top two layers of the skin whereas products like Elemis and other 'proper' skincare reach the first layer where the bacteria linger which are what casues the problems.

During my facial she used the microdermabrasation technique and it felt so good and did a fantastic job

I definitely want to keep up these kinds of facials now I'm home and maybe even try and find some products to achieve this in my routine

I came away from the facial with three new additions to my skincare routine and have to say it was rather expensive

And since I've been home I've found all of these products and other's the therapist recommended on John Lewis (handy when the fiance's mother works for the company!) and for considerably cheaper than I paid on the ship

But I knew if I didn't get them there and then and started to used them immediately then I probably would have forgotten about the products and continued using other crap which was doing my skin no good.

In the past I have never managed to keep up with a skincare routine, getting bored after a few weeks and moving onto something new

But this has been used twice a day since I bought it and I have definitely noticed a massive difference

I'm kicking myself now though as I hated my skin before I started usiong this and don't have a before photo...however I now go without make up sometimes in public...shocker!!

The facial wash smells absolutely amazing, it has essence of truffles in and just smells so luxurious and spa like.

There are so many different ingredients at work in this and they really do work

The resurfacing outcome is mainly targeted for people seeking anti aging effects but this works beautifully for acne scarred and reddenned skin

Before this became part of my day to day routine my affected skin was so painful to touch and really red

I had almost cystic spots on a daily occurence (ouchies) which made me extremely self conscious but now they've gone

I've been using this now since the beginning of June and I've only had 1 really bad spot...it's a bloody miracle!

The Pro Collagen Marine Cream is so hydrating but also extremely light on the skin

I apply this just before my make up in the morning and once applied by the time I've got my make up together and sat down to pop it on it's all sunk in

Again this is another anti aging product (think the therapist was trying to say something!?) but it's really helped my dry bits and feels lovely on the skin

I guess prevention is better than cure when it comes to aging...

The therapist pointed out I have dark circles under my eyes, I had never noticed these before but ho hum

She used the Eye Serum on me and it felt really nice so I though why not!

I've been using this daily as well and have to see it seems like the skin under my eyes has brightened and feels softer and plumper

Guess I did need it then

She also recommended Bliss Peeling Groovy Serum which I'm tempted to try but it's a bit pricey

Have any of you guys tried anything from the Bliss line?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Clarisonic Mia 2 Review

Clarisonic Mia2 Skin Cleansing System Set

$149.00

Sephora

Recently my skin has suddenly turned angry against me

It never used to be acne prone and I was quite lucky in my teen years to not suffer horrendously like some of my peers

However now it seems I'm paying for my teen luckiness

The doctors had put me on Oxytetracycline without telling me the side effects so I happily took them twice a day as instructed, until I returned for more tablets and the different doctor informed me I'd need a blood test (bleurgh!) on my next visit due to the tablets probably harming my liver...they hadn't made much difference to my skin so I decided not to take them anymore...who wants liver damage!?

Whilst on holiday I had a facial on the cruise 

It included a form of microdermabrasion and my skin felt instantly better

The redness had toned down and it felt a lot smoother

I came away from the facial with a few new products and a list of others to track down when we got home (I'm yet to invest as it totals over £150!!) but I'll have a post up all about these

I had always been intrigued by the Clarisonic systems but never fancied splurging on something I wasn't 100% sure would benefit me

Whilst in New York I had looked into the kits available in Sephora and the price difference was definitely appealing but I still wasn't too sure

I asked the therapist her views on whether it would be worth investing in the system and she whole heartedly agreed I should indulge a little

Along with the new facial cleanser this would help deep cleanse down to the primary skin layers and help target the bacteria causing all my painful acne

So with her recommendation in mind I knew on our final day back on shore (we had about 3 hours to kill in New York before our flight home) I would beeline to the nearest Sephora and pick one up

I was quite lucky that in the week we had been on the cruise it was now Sephora's 15th Birthday and they had new special offers and sets available

I initially was contemplating just getting the standard Clarisonic Mia in baby pink but the set I purchased above was only $30 more and is a Limited Edition colour (I think) in hot pink, comes with a hard carry case, two heads, trial cleanser (which I haven't tried yet), charger and cute pvc lace detail case to house it all

The website says the retail cost for this little lot is $200 so I already saved $50 there and looking on websites in the UK I saved at least a further £50 but this colour isn't available in the UK and this set isn't available either so it's hard to gauge

Now I have to say it's a lot of money to spend on skin care but with my wedding in two years I want to feel confident in my skin but not have a super heavy foundation on my skin

My Mum kindly bought this for me as my birthday present which I really appreciate 

I've been using this once a day since we've been back and have been loving it

It's so easy to use, I currently have the sensitive skin head on but purchased a four pack of acne clearing heads so I'll used on of those once this one is ready for the bin (generally every 3 months) 

There is a buzz timer which tells you when to move onto the next part of your face so you know how long your cleansing for, this is also part of the 1 minute cleansing timer it is equipped with

I tend to use the timed minute first all over my face and then used it again on my problem cheek for about 30 seconds as this is where I am targeting the most 

I just hope that isn't having an adverse affect...doesn't seem it as of yet

My skin is so much smoother now and the redness has stayed away from my problem areas and since using the painful acne spots on my cheek have stayed away which is fantastic as they were so so sore

However I seem to be suffering with little clusters of breakouts in my oily areas

I'm putting that down to having such a deep cleanse daily which is bringing out all the nasties which need to be expelled for cleaner skin

Things always get worse before they get better I guess

It will be worth it though, I'm so excited to be able to go sans make up and feel confident still

Overall I am so so so soooo happy I took the plunge and invested in this tool as I feel my skin deserves it

My skin is getting better now and I know if I keep it up I should have the semi flawless skin back 

I'll have some before and during photos for my post on the facial skincare coming up if you're interested!

Sorry this post is so long but with something quite expensive I felt an in depth review was needed

Love

Belle

xoxo

Meet Dermalogica Kit

I recently took out a subscription to Marie Claire magazine and received the Dermalogica set as a free gift, just as well really as I don't seem to receive the free gifts with the magazine!

I wait to subscribe to a magazine until the free gift draws me in and I'd been wanting to try out some more Dermalogica products for so long so this was the perfect opportunity

 In the trial set I received mini versions of four cult classics; Special Cleansing Gel, Daily Microfoliant, Skin Smoothing Cream, Multivitamin Power Firm

The Daily Microfoliant has been on my lust list for so long so I really wanted to try it out.

It's the perfect daily exfoliant as it's not too harsh on the skin, it is just the right amount of scrubby to be used everyday. In combination with the rest of the products my skin is feeling softer and smoother, al though it's no where near perfect! 

The Special Cleansing Gel has become my go to cleanser for everyday use 

It foams slightly and cleanses deeply thoroughly removing any trace of makeup left on my skin, I feel like my skin is so clean after I've used this

The Skin Smoothing Cream is a daily medium weight moisturiser

It's been working fantastically as a barrier against the really harsh winter weather at the moment and combating all my dryness 

The Multivitamin Power Firm is for mature and prematurely aging skin so I haven't really been using this much. I tried it around my eye area and the skin felt really smooth, I may keep it up as a preventive measure to aging...

Looking at the Dermalogica website there are so many other products I'd love to try

Are there any you recommend?

Love

Belle 

xoxo  

Dove Spa Effective Blemish Fighter

Effective Blemish Fighter

£14.00

Dove Spas

For my 21st Birthday, many many moons ago, I got a spa experience gift card from some friends. I've only just gotten round to doing it, it's been a pretty crap year for me in all honesty. 

It was such a lovely gift, I had a facial and had my skin mapped so I finally know what kind of skin I have..actually pretty normal despite all the breakouts

The girl who did my facial also suffered from breakouts like myself and she showed me a few of her favourite products

I came out with a Bare Minerals starter set which was £42 (£7 cheaper than in Boots or Debenhams) and the above product...another target blemish fighter

I'm becoming quite acquainted to these

According to the website this blemish fighter has soothing lime-tree and calendula extracts along with willow bark which is a natural source of salicyclic acid.

It is supposed to eliminate excess oil and prevent blemishes

I apply this every night after I've cleansed and toned, I let it soak in and then apply my moisturiser

I have to say it definitely soothes existing blemishes but I'm still getting the pesky things

They are driving me insane!

Some of the targeted spot treatments I've tried can sting a bit on the broken skin areas whereas this product is comfortable on my skin

Do you have any recommendations for blemish prone skin? 

(It never used to be this bad...)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway!***

Love

Belle

xoxo

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Shower Gel

Soap and Glory

Sugar Crush Body Wash

£6.00

This smells DIVINE! 

Absolutely amazing, I think this might actually be my favourite Soap and Glory scent

Sometimes their scents can be slightly too sweet and sickly but this is the perfect balance between citrus and sweet

The main scent is lime but also a sugary undertone 

As a body wash it does the job...foams nicely and the scent lingers on my skin for hours afterwards

Not hugely overpowering but it's there and smells yummy!

Can't really say much about a shower gel other than it smells good and makes bubbles
I've nearly finished it in only a few weeks...good sign as I can be slightly fickle with shower gels and often switch between a few!

This lovely scent comes in a body scrub and body butter

I may have to purchase these two products 

My main goal is to smell like a sugary lime ;)

Love

Belle

xoxo

Grease Lightening Review

Grease Lightening £5.95/45g

Lush

A couple of weeks ago I had a major breakout, only a week before I was due to be bridesmaid for my boyfriends sister...stress!

Turns out I was super stressed about numerous things and these are more in check now.

I picked this up from Lush along with the Cosmetic Warrior fresh face mask, Benefit's boo boo zap and Benefit Boi-ing (I needed something to cover up the 'boo boos')

I used this straight away on all my problem areas and noticed how much it calmed down my redness and took away the inflamed areas. 

The problem bits were really painful so I couldn't wait to get rid of the gits!

After a few days my skin started to show signs of repair and getting back to normal.

I was still suffering come the wedding but no where near as bad as before.

Since then whenever I feel a little blemish coming up I pop a bit of this on after I've cleansed and toned just before bed and let it work its magic.

I definitely recommend this product, other than it dries the skin a little with excessive use (which can be rectified with a good moisturiser of course) it is really effective.

Anyone else suffer from random breakouts out of the blue?

What do you use to help?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Balance Me

£20

Another cleanser you use with a muslin cloth....I'm officially addicted!

Balance Me describe this as a daily cleanser for cleansing balm addicts.

It's a natural oil based balm containing anti-oxidant cloudberry and gently polishing oatmeal.

You can definitely feel the oatmeal in the formula but it isn't gritty at all.

It's a very moisturising balm with quite an oily feel but seeing as my skin is so dry at the moment the oily consistency is benefitting my skin a lot. 

This cleansing balm is fantastic at removing all the days make up with ease and without having to scrub at my eyes until their red raw to remove mascara.

It smells gorgeous and very soothing I think I may even love it more than the Liz Earle cleanse and polish.

Have you tried any of the Balance Me products before?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish



Refined Finish Facial Polish

£17.50

Benefit

After I had the recent bad skin breakout it seems that my skin has decided to stay that way...

Nothing I've tried seems to have worked and I continue to suffer from bad blemishes and problem skin

Now that it's coming into winter I'm getting lots of dry bits too

I find that a good scrub helps get rid of these and the Benefit skincare range has always impressed me

The facial wash leaves my skin squeaky clean so I use this in conjunction with that

As a polish it isn't as rough and grainy as a scrub but the fine scrubby bits are still great removing any dry skin

It also means it doesn't hurt my sensitive broken out areas too

I wouldn't say there is much of a scent to it which to be honest I like as in the shower I use various other products which cause a medley of various scents

Around my face I'm starting to use more subtle and sensitive products in a bid to see if it's fragranced products that aggravate the most

Unfortunately it seems to be a case of trial and error

But right now the benefit products are doing a great job and haven't aggravated my skin in any adverse way so I'm happy

Have you tried the Benefit skincare before?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

£10.00

I seem to have a thing about purchasing hot cloth cleansers at the moment

After finally getting my mitts on the infamous Liz Earle cleanser (all be it the limited edition scent) I've been eager to try similar products

I love having that little bit of time to myself in the evenings having a good cleanse rather than my previous habit of just using a make up wipe on it's own..

I really enjoy using a lot of Soap and Glory's other products so I thought I'd give their version a go

As with other hot cloth cleansers a muslin cloth was included (I'm getting quite the collection now!) 

The product itself has panthenol, natural sweet almond, orange and lavendar essential hours in it so the scent is pleasant and not chemically at all

I find it in a similar league to the limited edition Liz Earle cleanser, a soothing, lightly fruity scent.

It takes my eye make up off really well too, some cleansers require a second dose of rubbing but this one does the trick in one go

My skin feels soft after and no residue is left behind on my skin

I'd most probably repurchase but considering there are so many cleansing products around I'll probably try a few more and see if I stumble across the holy grail product.

Love

Belle

xoxo

Liz Earle ~ Rose and Lavender Cleanse and Polish

Liz Earle September Skincare Essentials Programme

£41.00

Liz Earle is a brand I've wanted to dabble in for a long time now. 

I've seen it mentioned on many different blogs and heard rave reviews, but for some reason every reason I've gone to purchase something I've not had any money left or had to  buy something else...but I finally took the plunge.

What I love the most about Liz Earle is how she only uses natural products so all the crappy chemicals I normally plaster on my face aren't present. 

Hopefully this will stop my breakouts or at least help.

I'm itching to get my hands on some of the make-up range now available, think I'll have to wait till Christmas now (yep not long till C-Day!!)

I decided to go for a kit as it allowed me to try a few things out. 

In the September Skincare Essentials Kit you get a choice of the original version of the infamous Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser or the Limited Edition Princes Trust Rose and Lavender version. I went for the limited edition as one it looks so pretty and two sounded like it would smell gorgeous. 

In the kit was also an instant skin boost tonic and skin repair moisturiser.

I also received a free sample of the original Cleanse and Polish so can try this out too.

So far I've been really enjoying using all of the products.

I now give myself 10 minutes every night to wind down before bed and have some time to myself to pamper... I use the cleanse and polish first, then the toner and then the moisturiser..followed by my dermalogica total eye care and some kiehl's lip balm.

I am loving this routine and find my skin seems to look a bit glowy. Always a good thing!

Have you tried any Liz Earle products?

Love

Belle

xoxo