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.

 

 

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 Velvety Toner

Today's post is about the third, and final, L'Oreal product I've purchased recently.  I've already posted about the cleansing oil and the micellar water and today I have the Velvety Toner!  You can see it on L'Oreal's site HERE. 

 

I didn't really need a new toner but the range was all on special offer and the idea of a velvety toner appealed so I decided to pick it up, here's what L'Oreal have to day about it:

 

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Velvety Toner, specifically formulated for sensitive skin.The toner, infused with softening actives, removes impurities and leaves the skin toned, silky smooth. No dryness or discomfort. Hypo-allergenic. No Alcohol. Dermatologically tested.

 

First up, I LOVE the scent of this product, to me it smells sort of apple-y although it may not be apple scented on purpose, whatever it smells of is delicious which is something I really rate in skin care products, I can't be bothered with unscented things, I want skin care to smell lovely and pleasant and make me want to smear it all over my face and this product definitely does!

 

The toner applies nicely and has a definitely silky feel to it as you glide it on to your skin, it almost feels like it has some sort of moisturisers included in it which slide all over you face as you apply it.

 

It left my skin feeling nice; soft and clean and there was a hint of the velvety finish that the name suggests.  I'm not totally sure how I feel about the toner yet, although I am enjoying using it and it isn't doing anything bad to my skin I'm not sure if it feels astringent enough for me. 

 

I like my toners to feel quite zingy and fresh as if they are taking off the very last of my make up and whatever product I used to clean my face and leaving it a totally blank canvas.  This toner definitely feels like you're left with something on your skin, I would imagine for sensitive skin it's great as it does leave you feeling like you have a protective layer on your face.

 

Overall I'm happy to keep using it, not least because I LOVE how it smells but I'm not sure it would be a repurchase for me as I prefer my toners to feel a little more refreshing and clearing than this one does but it seems like it would be a great product for dry or sensitive skin,

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.

MUA Blush Perfection - Bittersweet

Today I have a blusher review for you, another scheduled post I've set up while I'm off spending Christmas with my nearest and dearest.  

Fairly recently MUA (available at Superdrug) started doing cream blush, as with all their products it's available at a truly bargain price, just £2!  I have quite a few cream blushes and I like wearing them so I couldn't pass up on the chance to try out another shade at such a low price. 

I chose Shade 1 Bittersweet which is a soft pink shade.

The blush is a nice soft texture and applies well, it's easy to blend; either with your finger or with a buffing brush and lasts pretty well for a high street product at such a low price.

I did find initially that there seemed to be a bit of a clear film on the top of the blusher when I bought it, I'm not sure what it was, maybe something added in production to protect it, but I had previously read about it on another blog so I was half expecting it.  After a quick sweep over with a tissue the film disappear and you are left with the pigmented blusher underneath.

The colour is great, a soft subtle pink which can be built up to give a brighter more vivid look or lightly swept on the give a natural flush.

Overall, I am really pleased with this blush, it's a great bargain every day blusher and having used it quite a few times now I am definitely tempted to try out the others in the collection.

Current Skin Care Routine

I've never been lucky enough to have good skin, I have as many spots, blackheads and blemishes now as I did when I was a teen.  Over the years I've tried so many different spot treatments and face washes, masks, medicated toners and basically anything on the market which suggested it might help with breakouts.

 

I use a fair amount of scrubs and microdermabrasion type products too and I do probably use too many harsh treatments in an attempt to get rid of blemishes when they spring up, I've come to the conclusion that this might in fact be irritating my skin more and making it worse rather than better.

 

Recently I decided to try and calm my skin down a bit and instead of using lots of different products I wanted to try sticking to a very simple routine, using minimal products and not using anything which might irritate my skin too much in the hope that once it calmed down I could add back in the odd scrub or mask too.

 

Although my skin isn't 100% better I have noticed a bit of a difference so I thought I would do a quick post featuring the products that are actually seem to be working:

 

First off I have been using Liz Earle C&P in the LE rose & lavender version which I previously mentioned here.  I've had the original version before and I'm sure the effects I've seen would have been the same using the original version.  I just apply the cleanser all over my face, rub in and then remove with a damp muslin cloth.

 To get rid of stubborn eye make up and as a secondary cleanser and toner I have been using the Micelar Water I got in Spain, you can find a review of this product here.   The more I use this product the more I like it, it's definitely a grower.  Although this particular one might be hard to track down there are countless other, similar, micellar waters on the market if you want to try one.

 

 

 

As a treatment I have been using Origins Super Spot Remover and I'm really pleased with the results, it seems to stop spots in their tracks and dry them up super fast.  It's expensive, £11 for a tiny bottle, but you only use a really small amount for each application so to me it's totally worth the money and I will definitely re-purchase, I got this bottle as a gift from a friend but I won't hesitate to replace it when it runs out.

 

 

Finally, for moisturising I have been using Therapist's Secret Facial Oil by Sanctuary.  I only really use this at night as I wear BB cream during the day and find it slips off if I use an additional moisturiser under it, but for evening use this is perfect, it smells divine and really moisturises my skin without leaving it feeling heavy or greasy as you might expect with an oil.

 

Obviously, skin care is a very personal thing, everyone's skin will react differently to different products and will require different things, for me this combination is really working though, it's gentle enough to give my skin a break and help it to heal as well as it can but effective enough to keep my skin clean and treat the blemishes when they do arise.

What are your current skin care heroes?

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?

Sk:n Facial Exfoliating Cleanser (for Oily skin)

A friend of mine bought this exfoliator and had good things to say about it, she picked me up a couple of samples and from trying them I thought it seemed to suit my skin quite well, at the same time Boots had a 33% off sale on all Sk:n products so I bit the bullet and purchased a full size.

This cleanser is supposed to exfoliate the skin using Glycolic and Salicylic acid so although it doesn't feel grainy or like it is sloughing off dead skin in the way a lot of exfoliators do the chemicals in it should be doing the same job.

I am still in two minds about this product, although it does feel like it's doing something to my skin and seems to leave it feeling smoother and softer I often find that the day after I use it I get quite a few spots and break out rather badly.  While many products can cause you're skin to break out as they clear it up I am not so sure this one should be doing that. 

The cleanser shouldn't be used every day, in fact it's recommended to only use it 2 or 3 times a week due to the fairly harsh chemicals, which means I feel like I can't get into a good routine with it and carry on through any initial breakouts which appear, whatever face cleanser I use on the days in between seems to improve my skin and then this one breaks it out again.

It could be that my skin is just being particularly troublesome at the moment but the effect that the Sk:n cleanser has been having on my face means I am far more likely to reach for something else in the evenings when cleansing my face.

It wasn't a cheap product so I think I'll retire it for now and go back to it once my skin is in a more settled mood in the hope that the breakouts are coincidence and I can get along with this product.

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!