SKINCARE UPDATE

So I know I'm always harping on about new skincare purchases but I realised today I hardly ever come back months later to let you guys know how the products ACTUALLY perform against their claims...

With that in mind here's a few skincare updates.

STILL LOVING

Dr Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Serum

I've noticed a BIG difference in my skin tone recently. It's one of those weird things, for ages I didn't think this was working but then the other day I washed my face, looked in the mirror and was like WHAT THE HELL?! The scarring on my cheeks has VASTLY improved you guys, no joke. As ever I'm reluctant to credit this with just ONE product as I'm quite sure that religious use of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair has a lot to do with it (I haven't included it here cos y'all already know how much I love it) but still, I've gotta give props to this little guy. It definitely feels a bit gloopy and siliconey on the skin and I generally prefer my serums more watery, but overall I'm actually very impressed with the noticeable results. Can't argue with that, right? Snaps. 

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm anti-stress moisturisng cream

I blogged about this a while ago when I received it in an event goodybag and I've been using it ever since. Normally I'll whack it on at night after I've let my ANR sink in for a while, and when I wake up in the morning my face is SO SMOOTH YOU GUYS! It's literally the best moisturiser I think I've ever tried. BOLD CLAIM, right? It doesn't leave any greasy or sticky residue and although it's quite rich for a day cream, I have found myself using it under makeup if my skin feels a bit BLEURGH and it disappears almost instantly. My little sample pot is rapidly running out and when it does I'm definitely going to repurchase. It does have a moderately strong 'perfumey' scent but it's much more tolerable than the Liz Earle light repairing lotion which unfortunately I just cannot stomach.

Avene Triacneal

Although it's generally the best it's been in AGES, my skin has been acting up a little breakout-wise these past few weeks. Pretty sure this is down to sleeping in my makeup a few times which I normally try and never do! Anyway, whenever I notice the start of a new blemish I whack this bright yellow stuff all over it and in the morning it's normally completely away. It stings a bit, and the cream does make you look ALL KINDSA RIDONCULOUS but again, you can't argue with results. I just realised it's got retinoids or retinoic acid in it (super-strength acne-fighting chemical) and for that reason, and because it stings, I'd NEVER use it all over my face, just as a topical treatment. But hey, it works.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

While the light repairing lotion just stinks WAY too much for me to use, Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and Instant Boost Skin Tonic have remained staples in my routine. In particular this 'toner' of sorts is honestly a delight to use. I soak a cotton pad in it and wipe it all over my face morning and night to refresh my skin and remove any last bits of makeup. The smell is delish and it has all kindsa healing oils and vitamin E in it which makes me feel like if I skipped this step my skin would miss out. If you get me. Plus, it doesn't contain any alcohol and I'd NEVER go back to anything that did after using this. If you're looking for something soothing after washing your face with a harsh facewash, this is for you.

RECENT PURCHASES

Caudalie Eau de Beaute

I know, I know. I caved. Possibly THE most hyped product of 2012 and I've shamelessly jumped on the bandwagon! The buzz about this facial spritzer/toner/aromatherapy spray/makeup fixer has been everywhere ever since Lisa Eldridge mentioned it in one of her videos at the start of the year, and being the skincare junkie that I am, how could I ignore it! I actually bought the mini size of this when I was in Lisbon as it's very hard to find in the UK unless you buy it online, but in Europe it's stocked in just about every pharmacy on every high street. Go figure. Gotta say though, at first I was like, I DON'T GET IT. Underwhelmed to the max, I persisted for about a week and finally began to see why it's such a cult hit. Firstly the smell is heavenly. Truly. It's a sort of herby, spa-type smell that instantly relaxes and invigorates. After toning I would spritz a generous amount over my face and pat it in, and straight away my pores were smaller and my skin felt tighter and smoother. I think it's definitely the kind of product you need to use daily to see consistent results so I've just placed an order this morning for the larger 100ml size which will hopefully last me a while. Not sure though, the small size only lasted me a few weeks!

Caudalie Vinoperfect radiance set

While I was on Feel Unique having a browse round the Caudalie section I spotted this wee sample set of their acclaimed Vinoperfect Radiance range and couldn't resist. Again, I'd heard Lisa Eldridge talking about the serum in a recent video (I pretty much buy everything she ever mentions - total hero) and I know she and I have similar skin concerns, namely blemishes and scarring, so I figured if it was good enough for her... The £26 set includes 10mls of the complexion correcting serum, enzyme peel mask, day perfecting fluid and cell renewal night cream. I'm hoping to be able to get at least a few weeks out of these samples and I'll let you know my thoughts. Excited!  

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

OK, so not technically skincare but whatever... I actually just bought this yesterday since it was £2 off in Superdrug and I've not read one single bad review to date. I recently placed an order for my beloved Skin 79 BB cream but it takes about 2 weeks to arrive so in the meantime I'm testing this out. Today's the first day and so far I've had it on for about 3 and a half hours (yup, put it on a 5AM y'all - working the deadly early shift today) and it's holding up well. First impressions are that it's pretty thick and creamy but blends well with a medium/full coverage. Off the bat I think I might prefer this to the Bourjois Healthy Mix original as that can be a bit watery and slide off easily without powder. I really like it so far, but the real test will be how it looks around 4pm! I absolutely HATE the bottle though. SO MUCH that I actually thought twice about buying it. Orange? Really?

Update: OK so I've now had this on for nearly eight hours and I'm impressed! It's disappeared slightly around my T-zone but generally it's holding up very well, possibly even better than the Healthy Mix. Given that it doesn't claim to be particularly long-lasting this is pleasantly surprising! Snaps, Rimmel, I'm sold.

ON MY SHOPPING LIST FOR NEXT PAYDAY

Ginvera Green Tea whitening marvel gel

I've been hankering after this ever since Ruth did a review of it ages ago. Basically just an exfoliator, but it's meant to be one of the best out there at removing blackheads (boke) which isn't really something I suffer with, but who doesn't love a bit of heavy-duty exfoliation now and again? I've been using the Origins brightening peel pads for a while which contain AHAs and I think they're just a  little bit too harsh - I normally break out after using them and I'll NEVER touch that Alpha H Liquid Gold ever again since I'm pretty sure I'm allergic. So come on Ginvera, work your magic...

Aesop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel

Anti-oxidant moisturiser infused with Vitamin B and C to balance and soothe the skin. I know I said that the Lancome Hydra Zen was my new favourite, but I guess I'm just convinced there's something else out there that's better. The grass is always greener, innit. I've been hearing more and more about Aesop skincare these last few months and this product really stands out for me. Vitamin C in moisturisers or serums always catches my eye because of it's brightening/whitening effects and I also like that this is formulated without any silicones. It's £77 though... Bit of a splurge. Hmm, we'll see. Have any of you guys used this, or ANY of the Aesop range? Let me know if you think it's worth it.