Skinfood - Good Afternoon Berry Berry Tea BB Cream

As I mentioned in my recent post about the Apple Cinnamon version of this BB Cream, I liked the first three versions of this range so much that I felt like I had to give the other two a try too.  The final version in the Good Afternoon BB Cream range is Berry Berry Tea which I am showing you today.  The packaging is the same as all the others in the range, pretty and fairly luxurious feeling.

 

Berry Berry Tea smells really nice, it's a soft creamy scent, fruity but also a little flowery, I really like it.  It's very pleasant to apply to your face as it's a delicate feminine sort of scent which isn't too overpowering.

The BB cream applied nicely, it feels quite mattifying on the skin as it goes on but feels slightly less moisturising than some of the others in the range.  Berry Berry is described as a wrinkle smoothing and concealing BB cream that smooths fine lines and dents while evening out skin tone with anti-ageing superfood acai berry and raspberry because of that I was expecting it to feel very creamy when it went onto the face but in reality it wasn't any more than the others in the range. 

 

So far I can't say I've noticed any great improvement in wrinkles but it does leave the skin looking nice and smooth and give a medium coverage which for me is what a BB cream should do.

 

When I tried this one on my hand I though it looked a bit more orange than the others from the range but once it was on my face it looked absolutely fine and there was no issue with the shade at all, this one is shade 1 again as it suits my skin 90% of the time when I don't have a tan.

Overall I like this BB cream but I don't think it would be top of my list in the range, stand by for a full round up of all the shades and my top pick from the collection very soon.

 

 

Skinfood - Good Afternoon Apple Cinnamon Tea BB Cream

This is my fourth post on this particular Skin Food collection of BB Creams.  I've already purchased and blogged about 3 of the Good Afternoon collection, if you click their names you can see the posts on them here; Lemon Rose Tea, Peach Green Tea and Honey Black Tea. 

 

Originally I went looking on eBay for another tube of the Lemon Rose because I absolutely love it but it seems to be very hard to find, I'm guessing the stock has run out as this isn't a new collection.

 

While I was looking I decided that since I really liked the three I have already so much I should try out the others in the range, Apple Cinnamon is the first of them.

 

 

Apple and Cinnamon is the 'whitening' BB cream in the range which sounds a bit worrying, but on further investigation it's described like this:

 

A brightening BB Cream that re-illuminates skin with apple extract and detoxifies impurities with cinnamon, promoting a more even and brighter skin tone. With SPF 36.

 

Which sounds a lot less Michael Jackson skin whitening disaster and more bright, glowing skin which is really the effect I'd rather have. ;)

 

 

 The cream has a lovely smooth and very creamy texture, it applies evenly to the skin without any effort at all.  I chose Shade 1 in this BB cream as it's the one I wear most of the time, Shade 2 does me on holiday when I have a tan but that's rare!  Shade 1 is light but suits my skin well, if you have more olive or darker skin then I would definitely say to try the darker Shade 2, although 1 is idea for me I am quite pale generally so it won't suit everyone.

   The smell of the product is OK, it's vaguely medicinal - I think anyway, you may disagree - and not particularly apple and cinnamon scented as you might expect from the name.  It's not unpleasant but I wouldn't rave about it and it's not as nice or strong as some of the others in the range.

 

 On the skin this feels a little different to the other BB creams from the collection, it was a touch more oily feeling when I applied it to my face, certainly more so than the Peach Green Tea version which is the one I have been wearing most recently.  Despite that it doesn't look too different on my face than the others, it's a light to medium coverage so defintiely not great for trying to cover problem skin but good for a little boost if you dpn't want or like the look of full coverage foundation.  It blends well and leaves my skin looking brighter and more even in tone.

I bought this product from f2plus1 on eBay and I have to say I am super impressed. It arrived in a week (7 days - ordered on day 1, received on day 7) and came well packaged.  All of the BB creams are priced at around £5 and many sellers offer free P&P which makes it a bit of a bargain.  Obviously there are a lot of dodgy sellers on eBay and you do have to be careful but I have no qualms in recommending f2plus1 if you are after this product as I thought their service was great.

Overall a very pleasing purchase, I really like the Good Afternoon range and Apple Cinnamon is no exception, if you're in the market for a new BB cream then definitely check them out.

Berry Berry Tea is the final of the 5 BB Creams in this range, I've also ordered it so look out for a post on it very soon.

 

 

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate

I'd heard quite a lot about Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate online so I recently popped into the pop up shop they have in Princes Square Glasgow to have a look at it in person.  The very kind assistant gave me a sample to try and I have been using it for the last 10 days or so.

 

Before I give you my opinion here's what Khiels have to say about it:

 

The elixir works all night to replenish the skin with moisture and leave younger-looking. skin by morning. Enriched with a blend of naturally derived ingredients including Squalane, Evening Primrose, and a blend of essential oils.

This readily absorbed elixir helps the skin to recover radiance by morning, with skin feeling smoother and softer. Enriched with Squalane, Evening Primrose Oil, Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Essential Oils including Lavender, our formula provides a boost of intensive moisture to dehydrated skin. The formula instantly penetrates the skin surface to help replenish it with moisture. Our concentrate is designed to work at night; with skin hydrated, supple and soft, rest assured you can say goodnight to a tired-looking complexion.

 

 

 

 

I've used oils on my skin before and liked them so I wasn't worried about the fact that the Khiels was an oily formulation but even I was surprised by just how nice it felt on my skin, although it's oily it's a dry sort of oil which sinks in really fast and doesn't leave you looking like you've put oil onto your skin.  It also smells divine!

 

You only have to apply a few drops (Khiels say 2-3, I use 4 or 5) to your hands rub them together and then pat on your face but the difference I have noticed has been amazing.  My skin feels lovely and smooth and moisturised on waking the next day and it looks better too; brighter and more radiant.  Another added bonus I have found is that it seems to heal up any blemishes I have faster than usual and seems to make them less liable to leave red marks or scars.

 

All in it's a bit of a wonder product for me.  It retails at £36 for a 30ml bottle but considering how little you use each application and how lovely it's left my skin feeling I think it's well worth the money.  I've also found Khiels to be very helpful and generous with samples so it's worth popping in to speak to someone if you're not sure whether it's the sort of thing for you but you'd like to try it. Definitely one for the Christmas list if you want to give your skin a boost this winter.

Superdrug Simply Pure Aqua Hydrating Range

Recently I've been feeling like my skin is a bit out of sorts, it seems to be really dry and lacking in moisture so I took to the internet to see what sort of thing I should be picking up in the way of a moisturiser to try and sort it out.  One of my friends pointed me in the direction of a Sali Hughes article about dehydrated skin and to my surprise it described my current issues pretty much  exactly!

"Dehydrated skin can be tight, flaky and sore; it isn't lacking in oil, though, as dry skin is, but in water... If you have lots of very fine, almost crepey lines (as opposed to deep wrinkles), and you're prone to a dull complexion that's temporarily plumped, pink and healthy-looking when you emerge from the shower, and you break out when you treat your skin with rich, dry-skin moisturiser, then you probably have dehydrated skin."

 

So I decided to have a hunt for something specifically for dehydrated skin rather than a product which might be too oily and heavy for my skin.  The same friend suggested I try out a new range from Superdrug which is specially for dehydrated skin.

 

Lucky for me it was on a 'better than half price' offer so I managed to pick up the whole range; day cream, night cream, serum and eye gel, for under  £10 (£9.12 to be exact) which I think is a pretty good price for trying out a whole range of products.

 

So far I have only been using them for a few days but I can see a difference already.  I'm applying the serum and day cream in the morning and then mixing the night cream with some Trilogy Rosehip oil at night for a more intense moisturise and it seems to be paying off.

 

My skin is far from perfect but it definitely feels plumper and less sore after just a few days of use so I have fairly high hopes for my budget solution.  The creams are both lovely to apply and sink in quickly, neither them nor the serum feel greasy or too heavy and they all leave my skin feeling moistusised and much less stretched and sore.

 

My one negative is that the range is unscented, which I hate in a face product, I like to smell herbs and botanicals and suchlike as I apply my face products and I do miss that with this range but if it's working then it's a small price to pay!

 

Balance Me Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash

A while ago I picked up a Glamour magazine which came with a free 50ml Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash.  I didn't really have huge expectations but after using it a few times I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was.

I picked mine up at Look Fantastic where it was £13.60 instead of it's RRP of £16.

 

I've seen a few reviews where people complain about the scent of the product but it's one of the things I love about it, it's very natural and herbal smelling and I really like it.

 

I've been using it with my new (yet to be blogged about) Clarisonic and it works really well and leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh and not at all tight.

 

This is probably the most I have ever spent on a face wash, it might be the most I've ever spent on a skin care product actually!  But the trial size was almost finished and I've enjoyed using it so much that I thought I'd splash out as a post holiday, pay day treat. 

 

I do wish I'd known how much I was going to like it and stocked up when Glamour were giving away 50ml sizes for just £2 though! ;)

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Miracle Cleansing Oil

I posted yesterday about the micellar water from this range which I had wanted to try out after reading reviews, while I was in Superdrug looking for it I also came across the cleansing oil from the same range.  I've read a fair bit about cleansing oils and used to wash my face using olive oil - a good few years ago - so I'm not adverse to the idea of using oil to wash you face although I've never tried an official facial oil so I decide to give this one a try. 

 

You can see it on L'Oreal's site HERE and here's what L'Oreal have to say about it:

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, high performance cleansing for all skin types. Instantly dissolves even waterproof make-up, skin feels perfectly clean with a non-greasy finish. The oil formula helps to re-balance skin's natural oil production for healthy-looking skin. Dermatologically tested.

 

I really like the facial oil, despite the fact I don't think it's ideal for removing eye make up as L'Oreal suggests - I'd still do that before washing my face with a seperate eye make up remover or micellar water.  You only need a couple of pumps of product to thoroughly coat the whole face and it applies smoothly and smells rather delicious. 

 

If you're not used to using an oil on your face it can feel a little odd but stick with it, once you've massaged it in you add water and the oil turns into a milky sort of solution which you can then wash off so your skin isn't left feeling oily at all, all the oil seems to melt away with the addition of water.

 

I found this stuff great for removing the make up on my face, it really does seem to melt it off and it left my face feeling clean and smooth without being at all greasy.  It might seem counter intuitive to apply oil to your skin, especially if you're like me and have quite oily skin to begin with, but in reality it's a lovely way to take off your make up and wash your face.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Water

I have a couple of micellar waters which I use regularly and like; the Boots No7 one which I stock up on when I have vouchers and the one I regularly pick up in Spain.  I like both of them and I find them fantastic for taking off my eye make up, so when I heard that L'Oreal were bringing out a new one and it was on special at Superdrug (under £2.50 in the introductory offer) I had to try it out.

 

Here's what L'Oreal have to say about it:

 

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Water, high performance cleansing for sensitive skin. Used by make-up artists, the 'micellar' solution swiftly removes all traces of make-up and acts like a purifying magnet on skin's surface to capture and draw out excess oil and impurities. So gentle, skin feels soothed and toned. Hypo-allergenic. No Alcohol. Dermatologically tested.

 

You can see it on their site HERE.

 

 

I've used it a few times now and while I don't find it mind-blowingly wonderful I do like it, and at less than £2.50 in the introductory offer it's a fantastic deal.  It easily removes even very stubborn, waterproof eye make up without any scrubbing.  It really seems to cut through the make up and sweep it easily off my face

 

It doesn't seem to have much of a scent to it at all and it does feel super gentle on my skin and definitely takes off make up with ease without drying out my skin or making it feel sensitive.

 

If you haven't tried a micellar water then the L'Oreal one could be a good place to start, while the Boots version sometimes feels a little stingy on my eyes this one didn't at all and it made removing even heavy eyeliner and mascara a breeze; it's gentle yet effective which, for a sensitive skin care product, is just what you look for.

 

Look out for more products from the Skin Perfect range over the next few days.

Skinfood - Good Afternoon Rose Lemon Tea BB Cream

I've already blogged about two of the BB creams from this collection Peach Green Tea and Honey Black Tea, there's a shade comparison in the Honey Black Tea post too if you want to compare shade 1 and shade 2.

 

The third and final BB cream from the collection I have to post about is Rose Lemon Tea, I purchased this one in shade 1, the lighter of the two shades as that's what I use most.

 

 

Again, the packaging is lovey and feels very high quality and luxurious.  The scent of this one is quite like you might expect, a mix of citrus and florals, I'm not sure I would have pinned down lemon and rose without having known what I was smelling first but it's very pleasant none the less.

 

Here's what Skinfood say about this BB cream on the packaging:

 

I'm not quite sure what 'fitting' is when it comes to skin care but hydrating I can just about understand. ;)  I wasn't sure about the water drops but when you apply the cream you definitely notice them!  The consistency of the BB cream as it comes out of the tube seems like the other two but as you begin to blend it onto your skin it seems to almost split and become very watery.

 

At first I wasn't sure about it as it definitely feels a little odd and different to all the other BB creams I have tried but actually it applies beautifully and smooths easily over you skin to give a good even coverage.  It's slightly lighter in coverage than the other two in the range but despite this it left my skin looking great; really well moisturised, smooth and even in tone.  For such a light feeling product I was pretty amazed at how well it covered.

 

As for the 'bright morning skin' I would say it delivers, my skin looked really good with this one on - so much so I am tempted to go and order the darker shade so I can take it on holiday with me!

 

In general I am really impressed with this range, 2 out of three I really like and the third (peach green tea) I think will grow on me as my skin lightens up over the autumn and winter.

 

I got mine from sing-sing-girl and iamlove-shop on eBay for between £5-5.50 each which having tried them I think is a really good deal!  So if you fancy trying out a new BB cream I'd definitely recommend picking one of these up.

 

 

 

Skinfood - Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB Cream

Last week I posted about Peach Green Tea, today I have another from Skinfood's Good Afternoon range of BB creams to show you, this time Honey Black Tea.

 

It comes in the same kind of cute paper box packaging and has a similarly luxury feel to it, the tube feels sturdy and well made and the design on the bottle and box is very pretty.

 

 

Here's what Skinfood has to say about Honey Black Tea:

 

I have to say so far I am loving this BB cream, I ordered it in the darker of the two shade - comparisons coming up - and it suits my lightly tanned skin perfectly.  The coverage is great, with very little product it leaves my skin looking more even and smooth and there is definitely an illuminating quality about the cream too, my skin looks very fresh when I'm wearing it.

 

It applies beautifully, spreading over the skin really smoothly and blending well.

 

It smells good too, much more true to it's name than the previous peach version which just smelt faintly fruity, the honey version smells clearly of honey, very sweet!  It's not an overpowering scent and it fades quickly once it's applied but as you are putting it on there is a definite hint of honey.

 

On to the shades, I chose to order this one in the darker shade so I could wear it while I have a bit of colour and also take it on holiday later this month and I'm pretty sure it'll be perfect for both occasions, although it's darker than shade one it isn't at all orange and it would still be suitable for a lot of people's winter skin tones with no tan at all.

 

 

As you can see, once the two products are blended in there isn't a huge difference in the shades, number 2 is just a little bit darker, so probably not ideal if you do have dark toned skin normally but great if like me you never go any darker than a pale biscuit colour.  :)

 

They both have a lovely texture to them, thick and creamy without being too thick to easily apply.

 

I'm really pleased with this BB cream so far, it does pretty much everything I am looking for in a BB cream; hides small blemishes, evens out skin tone and give my skin a lovely fresh glowing look to it so I'm looking forward to continuing to use it while the Scottish summer lasts.

 

You can read about my third purchase from this range in THIS POST.

 

Money Saver! Iseree Cotton Wool Pads at LIDL

I go through LOADS of cotton wool pads, what with taking of my nail polish so often and using them to cleanse and tone my face I feel like I am forever having to stock up.  Usually I use Superdrug's own version which are the best reasonably priced ones I have found.  They're generally on offer at 2 for £2.50 making them £1.25 for a pack of 100.

The other day however I noticed LIDL's own brand and picked up a packet to try them out, they retail at just 55p for 120, making them less than 0.5p each compared to 1.25p for Superdrug's.

I've taken a comparison photo and posted it below, the Superdrug pads feel slightly thicker and more sturdy but overall there is not a huge difference, they both have two different textures; one side fairly smooth and the other slightly more textured and they both have sewn up edges.

 

They are a very similar product, with not so similar prices.

 

 

The Superdrug pads feel a little bit nicer to use for facial stuff, they're a bit more solid and thicker feeling where as the LIDL pads can become a little thin when saturated with cleanser or toner and lose any sort of texture when they're covered in anything oily, for nails stuff they are totally fine though, thick enough to hold together and not too fluffy so they leave your fingers covered in fibres.

 

This isn't the first nail or beauty bargain I've picked up in LIDL, I've previously posted about the nail polish remover I got from there so if you have one nearby it's definitely worth popping in and having a look.  Rumour has it that they will soon be launching a proper make up line so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for that, in the meantime I know where to go when I need to stock up on cotton pads, if you use as many as I do then it might be worth a visit for you too.

 

 

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush

Boots No7 have recently lunched they're new Cleansing Brush and it's currently on offer for just £15, that's nearly £10 off it's RRP.  As far as I know the offer runs until the end of this month (Feb 2013).

 

I was keen to try it out as I have been lusting after a Clarisonic for ages now but there is no way I could justify the £100+ price tag so when No7's budget version appeared I knew I had to take one home with me.

 

 

The brush is battery powered, unlike the Clarisonic, and comes with two AA batteries to get you started.  I've only been using mine for just over a week now so I can't comment on battery life by suffice to say they definitely last more than a week at a time which was an initial concern. (Update 19th June 2013): I have changed the batteries once since having the brush so I can now safely say that one set of batteries will do you for several months of use.

 

The brush is a very sleek, simple design made up simply of the body of the brush and the detachable brush head (replacements can be bought in packs of 2 for £8), there's only one button which controls the heads two speeds.

 

The brush head itself is fairly large and the bristles are beautifully soft, unlike the Clarisonic which oscillates back and forth the No7 version does spin a full 180 degrees when it's working.

 

So far I have been using speed one (the slower setting) to do my cheeks and then using speed 2 (which is faster) to do my t-zone and more stubborn areas on my face.

 

The brush comes complete with instructions, which I have taken a photos of to show you to save me typing them all up, lazy, I know. :)

 

As I said I have been using the brush for just over a week now and so far I am really impressed.  Rather than buy a new cleanser to use with it I have been alternating between No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, Superdrug, Hot Cloth Cleanser and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish all of which seem to work pretty well with it.

 

The brush definitely feels like it is exfoliating but isn't so rough as to feel like it's damaging the skin, I haven't noticed a huge change in the appearance of my skin but it definitely feel softer and well exfoliated and I haven't had any break outs of trouble with my skin while using it.

 

For £15, or even for £24.95, the Cleansing Brush is worth trying out, for me it gives a similar level of exfoliation and cleaning as using a muslin cloth does and it definitely leaves my skin feeling clean and well cleansed so for those who have been lusting after a Clarisonic and not quite been able to justify the price I would urge you to try out this budget version.

 

All in all a good job by No7.  Have you tried the new cleansing brush?  What do you think?

 

Update (19th June 2013): Just a quick update now I have been using this brush for a good while.  I am still really liking it, it leaves my skin feeling well exfoliated without that over raw feeling you can get from harsher exfoliators and it does seem to have made a difference to the troublesome blackheads around my nose.  Although I'd still love to try a Clarisonic I'm happy to stick with this excellent budget version for now as it really does seem to do the job it's meant for.

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

As part of my ongoing search to try and find a bargain alternative to my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish I decided to pick up No7's version while I had a £5 off voucher.  The voucher meant that the cleanser was just under £5 which for 200ml of product and a muslin cloth is a pretty good deal.

 

 

As with the Superdrug hot cloth cleanser I tried recently this is a nice product, it feels fairly thick and luxurious when you pump some out of the tube and it applies nicely onto my face.  The smell is very neutral, it doesn't have the same sort of obvious (and in my opinion, lovely) botanical scent that LE, and even the Superdrug cleanser, has.  No7's version is much more subtle, to me it smells the way a lot of unscented products smell, not a major downside but I do like my face products to smell good and this one doesn't really smell at all other than vaguely of generic 'face stuff'. :)

 

It removes make up well and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, it doesn't seem to leave the same slight dryness that the Superdrug version did so it seems more moisturising.  Altogether not a bad hot cloth cleanser, but again, while I am happy to use it up I wouldn't swap my Cleanse and Polish for it unless I was on a serious budget.

 

It looks like when it comes to hot cloth cleansers Cleanse and Polish is still the original and the best, sometimes you do get what you pay for.

Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

I picked this up in Superdrug recently, on offer at half price meaning it was only £2.99.  I'm looking for a budget replacement for my Cleanse and Polish and this has been touted online as one very budget friendly option.

 

The pack includes a muslin cloth to remove the cleanser with as well as the cleanser itself.

 

 

Initial signs are good; the cleanser is a nice thick, creamy consistency and smells great.  The cloth which comes with the pack seems very similar to the ones I have from Liz Earle and the general feel of the product is not too far from Cleanse and Polish at all.  After using it a few times I have found the cloth is quite a bit rougher than the LE ones I have, not necessarily a major down side but you can feel the difference in quality, the Superdrug cloth seems a little thinner and definitely slightly more scratchy on my face.

 

It certainly seems to do a good job of removing make up and cleansing my face, the one thing I did notice was that after I had used it my skin did feel a tiny bit tight and like I needed to put moisturiser on, often with Cleanse and Polish I almost forget to moisturise as my skin feels so nice and elastic right out of the shower.  That is really the main difference I have found with these products other than the slightly rougher cloth.

 

If money were no object would I swap to this from Cleanse and Polish?  Probably not, they're similar products with the Superdrug version being a tiny bit less brilliant for me whereas Cleanse and Polish really does tick all the boxes.  Is it a great budget beauty item that I will continue to use and might buy again?  Definitely, for the price this is a great cleanser and being reminded that you should apply a moisturiser after washing your face is no great downside, and it really does smell delicious.

 

So if you're in the market for a hot cloth cleanser and don't want to stretch to Liz Earle prices then this is a great little alternative to try out the technique and see if it's something you like.

Micellar Water Cleansing Solution

I've been keen to try a Micellar Water for quite a while now.  I decided to hold off buying one until I'd been away on holiday as I'd heard that they were generally much cheaper in France so I was hoping Spain was the same.

I was initially trying to track down the now infamous Bioderm version (Bioderma Créaline H2O Micelle Solution) which everyone seems to have blogged about but nowhere seemed to stock it, although they did stock Bioderm products.  After several unsuccessful visits to various pharmacies and cosmetics stores I stumbled across this in the beauty section of a local Carrefour (a Spanish supermarket). 

It was 5,90 euros for the 500ml bottle so I decided to give it a try as it seemed very similar ingredient wise to all the others I have seen reviewed and looked to be a very similar product.

I used the Agua Micelar (I think we can safely assume this is the Spanish for Micellar Water, although I'm not 100% sure ;) ) for the majority of the 10 days I was away and although it felt nice enough on my skin and definitely didn't cause any break outs I really wasn't blown away initially.

I found for removing eye make up it really wasn't up to the job, it was fairly poor at removing eyeliner (I wear Urban Decay 24/7 liners around 95% of the time)  and in the end I resorted to removing my eye make up as normal and then using the Micellar Water afterwards.  It took off skin make up like foundation and powder fairly well, but the fact that it didn't remove all my eye make up put me off a bit.

However, I persevered and in time I have actually grown to really like this product.  I think initially my problem with eye makeup removal was that I was being too impatient.  I now find that when I thoroughly soak a cotton pad in the cleanser and hold it over my eye for a good few seconds it does remove the eye liner pretty well, with the bonus of being very gentle and not stinging my eyes at all.

It's definitely a very gentle product, and totally scent free, which may appeal to some people but doesn't really appeal to me.  I like my products scented and I like to feel they are really working and with this product there was no scent and it really did feel like rubbing a bit of water on my face which isn't conducive to me feeling like I have a squeaky clean, make up free face.

So, a mixed review in all.  I do like this product and I do use it a lot although I don't think it's suitable to be used alone to remove all your make up and complete your skin care routine (which Micellar Waters are sometimes sold as doing).  Personally, I like to use it either before properly cleansing my face or after I have already used a wash off cleanser, it does remove make up well and it is very gentle on my skin, I suppose the most telling thing is that I have asked my mum to bring me a second bottle over from Spain when she visits, so it can't be doing that badly.

Here's a final bottle shot just because it looks lovely in evening sun:

Have you tried another version of a similar product?  How did you find it?  Are they all similar or is it worth trying another brand when this bottle eventually runs out?

BeauBelle Snail Cream - The Update

A while ago I blogged about BeauBelle Snail Cream which I bought on eBay, this is a follow up post now that I have had the chance to use the product for a while.

Unfortunately my opinion isn't great.  In the last week to 10 days I have used the cream fairly regularly and sadly I haven't noticed much difference at all.  Although it doesn't seem to be doing anything bad to my skin it doesn't appear to be doing much to help it either.

As I said before the 'cream' feels much more like a lotion to me, it's quite thin and watery and once it's applied to the skin it doesn't feel particularly moisturising, in fact I usually have to apply a moisturiser right after it as my skin feels quite tight.

There definitely haven't been any radical changes in the firmness of my skin or in the scars that I have which led me to look into Snail Cream in the first place, in fact, pretty much everything which the cream claims to do on the packaging it doesn't really seem to, so no snail related miracle here.

I'm still interested to try out another brand of Snail Cream and see if that is any better but unfortunately this seems to be one of those times where buying the budget version of a pricier product doesn't work out too well!

If you've tried out any other brands or have a recommendation I would love to hear it!

No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator

I bought this product during a 3 for 2 promotion for No7 without having read or heard much about it, it seemed to get reasonable reviews on the Boots site, I was after a new exfoliator and I'd heard a lot of good things about various microdermabrasion products so I decided to give it a go.  It's normally £11 for 75ml but I bought mine while there was a 3 for 2 on and then repurchased with a £5 off voucher so it's easy enough to get at a very reasonable price.

I've never tried any of the No7 skin care range before and I have to say I wasn't expecting too much from it but I was very pleasantly surprised.  It leaves my skin feeling wonderfully smooth and really well cleansed and it seems to be helping to keep breakouts to a minimum too.  The only downside is that I want to use it more than the recommended twice a week!

It's a very simple to use product, you simply massage it into your skin for a minute or two and then rinse off.  While it's on the skin you can feel it working in that it has a very fine grainy texture and does feel like it's exfoliating your face as you massage it in, however it doesn't feel harsh or full of big lumps like a lot of exfoliators can.  I get mild tingling occasionally when using it but nothing severe.

The best recommendation that I can give this product is that despite the fact I bought it without having high hopes it has become a bathroom staple for me over the last few months and I reach for it over several other, pricier, microdermabrasion products I have in my bathroom cabinet and I've repurchased a second tube before the first runs out.

If you're after an exfoliator that is both gentle and effective and you don't have a massive budget then I would definitely to give this No7 one a try.

Ginvera Marvel Gel (Zero Blackhead Gel)

I'd read a few reviews of Ginvera Marvel Gel (Zero Blackhead Gel) online so I thought I would give it a go, any product which claims all this is definitely worth a shot in my books: 

10 Amazing Efficacies

1) Removes blackheads painlessly
2) Softens the cornified layer and gently removes dead skin cells
3) Refines pores and reveals finer, smoother skin
4) Fades pigmentation spots and acne scars
5) Removes oil seeds around eye area
6) Regulates and balances oil secretion, prevent pimples
7) Evens out skin tone to give skin clarity
8) Dull and rough skin becomes smoother and fairer
9) Stimulates skin metabolism, skin becomes younger
10) Allows rapid and instant penetration of skincare products applied subsequently

Whether it lives up to all these claims remains to be seen, I'm not sure I even want to think about having a cornified layer on my face!

It comes with these directions:

Before cleansing, squeeze an adequate amount and apply onto dry face and neck, focusing more on the T-zone area. Gently massage in circular motions until small flakes appear which is the dead skin cells and dirt from the skin. After massaging, wet your fingers and gently massage again, and wash off with water afterwards.

 I gave it a try on my hand and these are the results, firstly the gel:

Now the flakes appearing, whether they're dead skin cells or just the product pilling up is hard to tell:

And then my skin afterwards, it definitely looks clear and smooth and possibly a little better but it's very hard to tell:

I've now tried the product on my face a few times and it definitely does seem to be removing something, there is quite a lot of flaking and pilling as you massage it into your face, again, I am sceptical as to how much of this is actual dead skin and nasty stuff but I'm sure in time the results will speak for themselves.

My skin is looking a little clearer but I have had some blemishes spring up, whether this is just my skin behaving naturally or due to the product I don't know, it does feel nice and smooth after I've used the gel so for now I am happy to continue and see how I get on as I've had no adverse reastions to the product and it seems gentle enough on my skin.

And finally, here's a shot of the back of the box with even more of their claims:

BeauBelle Snail Cream

Recently I have been reading a few bits and pieces online about how snail cream is good for your skin, particularly for treating acne and red marks, even the Daily Mail have cottoned on, so I thought I would give it a try, especially since I am on the look out for something to help with the scarring and red marks on my face.  

I didn't really fancy shelling out £30 for one of the brands mentioned (cheap, I know) so I decided to give BeauBelle's version a go, it makes some rather big claims online:

Beaubelle Highly concentrated Snail cream (it contains 80% of snail extract)

The most powerful snail gel on market, diminishes wrinkles, vanishes spots.

Due to its regenerative action, helps to diminish keloid scars, firming and anti-sagging action on skin.

Dermatologically tested. Results can be seen since the first application.

I ordered from eBay where the seller also had more praise for the cream:

My packaged arrived within a few days, although sadly the box wasn't in the best condition.

The bottle inside the box wasn't really what I expected either, it looked a bit cheap and homemade, possibly to be expected when buying a cheaper version though.  

It remains to be seen whether trying out the bargain version of snail cream from eBay was in fact a massive mistake, sometimes spending that extra £10 or £12 can make all the difference, one day I might learn.  Although, I've had some great beauty bargains when hunting down cheaper dupes of top end products so I doubt the bargain hunter in me will be put off just yet. 

On the skin the cream is definitely more of a lotion, and does look a bit like snail slime...

It feels like a very lightweight lotion and not at all slimey when applied to the skin though, after rubbing it in my skin felt quite soft and relatively well moisturised but there was no dramatic difference in either look or texture.

I've only tried it on my face once so far and although felt relatively nice and didn't have any immediate adverse effect on the skin it didn't seem like a wonder product either.  I also found that I needed a moisturiser over the top as my skin felt slightly tight after application. 

So, overall, I'm happy to keep trying it out (and will report back) but no snail slime miracles so far and the packaging leaves a lot to be desired!