REVIEW: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - £13 for 60ml 

7/10

What La Roche-Posay says: It is designed for oily skin with irregular texture, prone to imperfections, blemishes and sports. It unclogs pores and helps to purify and reduce the development of future breakouts. It also helps to reduce skin imperfections leaving skin looking clearer and feeling smoother. Apply morning and/or night to the entire face. Can be used as a make-up base.

What I say: I was a little sucker for the hype of this product and the fact that I couldn't find it for ages as it was sold out everywhere. I was like a woman possessed because it just made me want it even more but before I could get my hands on this I read so many great reviews. Now I don't actually think this lives up to the hype for the reason that it isn't designed for my skin type. I have dry/normal skin with a few spots here and there. I feel that it made my skin feel softer and smoother but didn't see that much of a change with my spots at all unfortunately. I'm not sure whether I am using incorrectly or that isn't designed for me. 

Pros:

- It made my skin feel a lot softer and more subtle.

- I feel like the packaging and the fact that it comes in a squeeze-ey tube 

- I think it is a great price £13 in Boots and usually they do offers and things - so you can pick it up for cheaper.

- I find that whilst is doesn't clear my blemishes it could be helping them stay at bay though I'm not sure whether that is just because my hormones have settled down. 

- Also lastly, I got told by a friend that she used it as a make-up base - clearly I never read the packaging and found it great way to keep my make up on. 

Cons:

- I find it a little stingy on my skin, I don't have particularly sensitive however it is quite dry and I know this is aimed at more oily type skin tones - which could be why it irritates a little.

- It doesn't clear up my spots or anything and I find that there is no change in the redness or appearance of them. 

Have you joined the La Roche Posay hype? What do you think?

This Works: Clean Skin 5-in-1 Water

This Works: Clean Skin 5-in-1 Water - £21

So I bought this cleanser a few months back and I only used it a couple of times because at the same time I bought a new bottle of Bioderma which is one of my all time favourite make-up removers. Now I have sadly come to the end of my Bioderma and have switched to the This Works water and to be honest I haven't actually notice a big difference between the two.

There is one thing which stands out to me between these products is that the Bioderma is a lot more sensitive around the eye area. I find that Bioderma doesn't sting my eyes as much as this one does. It makes the outer corner of my eyes sore after I have wipe any eye make-up off. I am not sure whether this is because the ingredients in this cleanser reacts with the ingredients of my mascara or whether it just isn't as gentle as some other cleansers. If I could I would have this my way I would have the This Works cleanser for my face and the Bioderma for my eyes but I never have the time to do this.

One of my favourite things about this product which I prefer from the Bioderma is the packaging. I like the sleek and modern and looks like it is from a higher price range. The lid has a tight clip and the product is a pump so you are less like to spill or put too much product onto a pad. It also contains rosewater which I am not a fan of due to its scent but with this cleanser, the rose smell is growing on me. The cleanser makes my skin feel fresh and super clean so I don't feel that I have to double cleanse. The water also contains elements of Mint in this water which helps keep redness at bay and it actually works which I was pretty impressed by.

Overall, I think the This Works cleanser is great for getting face make-up off and really working deep into the pores to decongest the skin and help brighten it. I would 100% be repurchasing this but I think it will always come in joint with Bioderma as I go through stages of using each one!

Do you have any Bioderma rivals? Have you tried any products from the This Works brand?

My ebay seller where I get my Bioderma from is here.

Botanics Hydrating All Bright Day & Night Cream

Botanics Hydrating All Bright Day & Night Cream - £4.99 (currently £3.49)

Since the rebranding of Botanics, I just can't seem to keep away from them. It doesn't help that they are always on promotion which makes it that little more tempting. Though having said that the reason I am pulled towards the brand for the price isn't just the main persuasion, they are great products. The fresh floral smelling pink creams blend and sink smoothly the skin. With hibiscus which acts as a brightening agent because of the flowers natural AHA's which exfoliates to help brighten the skin.

As most of my readers know, I don't like spending too much on products however I like products to have a high quality no matter how much they cost. I chose the hydrating cream as I have been finding that because the weather has been so cold my skin has become dry and chapped. I need a cream which nourishes my skin but doesn't sit on top of it, which these creams don't.

The day cream has an SPF 15 which saves times or putting too many layers of product on your skin especially as I tend to put foundation on afterwards.  You don't need to put too much on your skin as a little goes a long way. These are only 50ml pots, however I have been using them for the past 2 months and I am about half my way through them.

The night cream I think is my favourite of the pair because it feels kind of balmy as the formula is quite thick. However when smoothed onto the skin it doesn't take long to sink in by which time my skin feels soft and as though it has nothing on it. That is a personal favourite about any product, when it naturally enhances and you don't notice it but can see it working. Also I must had as well that both of these creams contain hyaluronic acid which helps your skin retain its moisture which is why you don't need too much all over and just focus on my dry patches.

Have you tried these? Can you recommend any Botanics favourites?

nspa 4-Step Beauty Ritual

Step 1: Melting Cleansing Gel - £3

Step 2: Hot Cloth Polish - £7 (currently 2 for £8)

Step 3: Illuminating Beauty Serum - £7 (currently 2 for £8)

nspa is exclusive to Asda!

I am super excited about this product, that I am not quite sure where to start. I suppose I should talk about the misconception of the title. This skin care regime does consist of 4 step, however I only have up to 3! This is because my local Asda (where they are sold) never have number 4 in stock - it must be to do with how good and cheap they are. 

So what initally attracted me to this range was an advert that I saw in a magazine months ago, I am not quite sure what magazine it was. I googled the brand and was shocked to see that they were from Asda (the magazine advertorial look really fancy.) All these products are paraben-free, contain essential oil of Neroli and are under a tenner! 

Melting Cleansing Gel - This soft, warming gel easily massages onto the skin, lifting and removing make-up and impurities. When adding water the clear gel/balm formula melts into a milk like consistency. It contails Ginseng, Vitamin E and Grapeseed Oil, which gives it, it's herbal spa like scent. The smell of this product is one of my favourite things about it. To be honest, I just love the way it effortlessly removes make up whilst keeping my skin soft and not irritating it at the same time. 

Hot Cloth Polish - The first thing that I want to mention about this product is the quality of cloth which comes with it. Now considering it is on the cheaper end of the Hot Polishes out their, it has a cloth which could rivial the quality of the Liz Earle one. In fact the polish itself could rivial the Liz Earle. It smells similar, is gentle enough and leaves my skin feeling and looking amazing. The packaging is basic, yet feels nice has a fitted lid and the product comes out via a pump. It contains Ginseng, Vitamin E, Coco Butter and Sweet Almond Oil. Now that I have been using this I am not sure whether I will be going back to the Liz Earle, this gives me the same effects for half the price! 

Illuminating Beauty Serum - This is my least favourite out of the 3 products and I think it is only down to preference to why I am I think it doesn't live up to the other two products. The formula has specs of fine glitter in it and I really don't like glitter in my skincare, bath products or body lotions. Saying that this product does make your skin look instantly brightened. And just like the other products it contains Gingseng, Vitamin E and Maca Root. It sinks into the skin quickly and smoothes on. 

Have you tried/ heard of this brand?  

Liz Earle vs No.7 Dupe

 So I am running low on my Liz Earle cleanser and times are a tad tight at the moment so I wanted to see if there was anything out there which was as good or within the league of Liz Earle. I had seen this No7 cleanser on a few peoples blogs and most people said that it was as good as Liz Earle and I wanted to test it out myself. Luckily I had a No7 voucher for £5 off which Boots tend to give away sporadically throughout the year. 

Right down to the nitty gritty...

                                       LIZ EARLE                 vs                           NO7

Price:                                 £14.25                                                 £9.95

Quantity:                            100ml                                                  200ml 

No. of Muslin Cloths:              2                                                         1

Quality of Clothes:      Good, thick and soft                          Poor, thin and coarse 

Packaging:                         Zip up bag                                           Card box 

Smell:                         Spa - Herbal scents                                   Soapy scent 

Formula:              Thick and creamy consistency               Thick and creamy consistency

Results:                 Fresh, clear and super clean                     Soft, bright and clean

Score:                                   5/5                                                       3/5

Comments: 

LIZ EARLE: It has naturally active ingredients containing rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus essential oils. It cleanses and gently exfoliates which removes make-up even clears my Benefit They're Real Mascara (which is a bugger to remove). I have quite sensitive skin and it doesn't irritate me even my eyes are fine which are my worst areas.

NO7: It contains cocoa seed butter. It is hypo-allergenic which is why I went for this because I have sensitive skin. It is suitable for all skin types. I find that is doesn't particularly clear all my eye make up and I tend to find that I use my Liz Earle Muslin cloth as the one which they supply is too harsh on my skin and it leaves it too red for my liking. I will continue to use up this bottle but not 100% sure if I will repurchase. 

Liz Earle is my overall favourite at the moment, I have recently purchased the Nspa Hot Polish and Cleanse and I am excited to try that one out and will keep you posted on how it competes. :)

What are you opinions? Have you tried any other dupes??

Empties #1

In the next coming months I will be doing more empties posts than the average person. Now this isn't because i'm trolling through every beauty product that I own but I have hundreds of mini products and a quarter full ones that need to be used up. I'm also on a mission to minimise my spending and with me using up all my old products and saving up some money on the way. 

This is my first batch of empties... they are all mini's or samples. I am addicted to buying smaller versions of products over the larger ones despite the larger ones being more cost effective. Another reason is that I get bored easily and like to change up things and it might be because I also like buying products so if I buy smaller ones I get through them quicker hence needing to go shopping more. Ooops! 


The Body Shop Camomile Eye Make-Up Remover 60ml £3 - As far as gentle eye make-up removers go this isn't gentle. I couldn't continuously use this everyday as my eyes wouldn't had been able to take the sting. I'm not sure whether the formula reacted with my mascara which caused it to sting or whether it is just harsh. I just hated it really and used it up for taking my general make-up off and not using it near my eyes. And it was helpful for cleaning make-up marks off my dressing table... despite the purpose :p
Won't Repurchase - Unless I want squid eyes every morning.  

Toni & Guy Firm Hold Hairspray 50ml £2.50 - My favourite thing about this item is that the lid stays on... You wouldn't believe the amount of products that I stop using because the lid falls off - especially if they are handbag size because that annoys me. The packaging is pretty basic and it 'does what it says on the tin' kinda of hairspray. Nothing special or wow though it does smell quite nice too. 

Might repurchase - I like this product enough to repurchase it as it held my hair well but it isn't the best one and I would probably rather chop and change my hairspray until I find one I adore. 

Handpicked Hotels Shampoo 60ml Free - I was given this when my friend Megan and I went to a spa day for our birthdays last year. Instead of buying each other presents we had a salt scrub and back massage - it was beautiful. I'm not sure I could repurchase this shampoo even if I wanted too, it had a fresh 'spa' scent to it. It felt quite clarifying for my hair and had the 'squeaky clean' effect and I know all shampoos should clean your hair but some still feel like they are in your hair even after you've washed it out. 

Unable to repurchase

Charles Worthington Front Row Blonde Dry Shampoo 50ml £1.99 - I like the idea of this product firstly and if I had any hair colour other than blonde then it would be great. It is dry shampoo with a touch of colour so the dry shampoo blends into your hair colour easier. The reason why I don't think it was such a great idea for blonde is that I find the standard (whitey) dry shampoos to be just as effective for me. I find that the dry shampoo lays thick on my scalp more than others that I use. 

Won't repurchase - I won't be re-buying this mainly because a generic dry shampoo suits me better. 

Estee Lauder Take It Away Total Make-Up Remover 30ml Sample - This works in a similar way to the Liz Earle cleanse and polish, the product has the same texture too. Though you don't need a muslin cloth to remove. I was not impressed with the product and I am a huge fan of Estee Lauder skin care. I can't work out whether the cleanser has a scent or not... but either way that is the biggest dislike to this product. 
Won't Repurchase  - Aside from the fact that I personally don't like this product, I think it is really over priced for what it is. 


Clinique Moisture Surge 30ml Sample - I think that I got this in Glamour last year, or at least the last time they did their Clinique giveaway. Up until a few months ago, I thought that I had dry skin and always went for heavy mositurisers and never particularly liked them. I now know why and it is because I have combinational skin and I tend to only get flaky dry skin on my nose... which I hate. I think this Clinique cream is okay, it sinks into the skin well but it doesn't have a smell to it and i'm a sucker for something which has a fruity/citrus/fresh smell. 
Won't Repurchase - Just because I think it isn't wow enough for a facial moisturiser and it doesn't seem to have an SPF in it which is a must for me. 


Lancome Visionnaire Skin Corrector 5ml Sample - I loooove this, I'm currently using Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Serum, however even though I have only tried this 5ml sample I prefer it. Visionnarie keeps my skin so beautifully smooth and clear, it helps keep blackheads at baby which is odd as a couple of serums I have used in the past have clogged my pores. 
Repurchase - I will be definitely buying a new one when my current serum runs out unless I find a better one before that... As I still have a couple of Clarins and Chanel samples to use.


The Body Shop Lip Butter 10ml £4 - I can't remember what flavour lip butter this one was all I remember is that I brought it a couple of years ago and it was one of their charity ones and I think it could had been guava but I am possibly making that up. Either way as most Body Shop lip butters do it smelt amazing and left my lips feeling nourished. And for a 10ml pot it has taken me years to get through that I thought this day would never come. 
Repurchase - I think next one that I will buy will be the coconut one because that is my current favourite smell. 

La Prairie Lip Balm

I had never heard of La Prairie until my Dad got a couple of bits free on his flight to Abu Dhabi. I got this and a face moisturiser, this lip balm is the best thing to ever touch my lips. It is so nourishing and smooth, is great to put on before bed and throughout the day. It also aids as a good primer for lipsticks too and lip stains which I find tend to seep into the cracks of my lips. However with this they don't seem too which is a bonus! Now I can't find this product anywhere online and I have spent ages searching for it. I know Harrods in London stock the brand and it is extremely expensive so I'm not quite sure if I could afford to purchase a full size. Their lip products which they are currently stocking range from £42 through to the middle 100's. That's quite hefty for the product, anyway I just wanted to let you all know how amazing I think this product is and I'm so excited when my Dad is luckily given more. But if anyone knows where I can get it from I would be so thankful :)


Happy Saturday 

Morning Skincare Routine #1

So I thought I would share with you all my current morning skincare routine. Now I do try and stick with this as much as I can but due to whether I am rushing in a morning or not depends on if I do my full routine or not. A little disclaimer, my skin is combination/dry and I tend to have really sensitive eyes. 


Step 1 - I use my Clinique Take the Day Make-Up Remover which I only ever tend to use if I was wearing fake eyelashes the night before or had been out and didn't take off my eye make-up properly. This remover is great for getting of stubborn excess of eyelash glue. 


Step 2 - Is obviously the famous Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, which I massage onto dry skin whilst the sink fills up with hot water. I use the muslin cloth which comes with it and ring all excess water before rubbing it off in circular motions section by section. Rinsing in-between. The splashing my face with cold water afterwards. 


Step 3 - Lancome Tonique Douceur - Softening Hydrating Toner which is alcohol free. I love the smell of this and most of all I love the way it makes my skin feel. To me it kind of smells of Palma Violets. I just sweep this over my face with a cotton wool pad. 


Step 4 - I leave my skin for a couple of minutes before applying Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator. I don't like this as much as the standard Idealist but I am just using this up for the sake of using up products. 


Step 5 - This cucumber smelling moisturiser is really hydrating and soothing. My skin cane sometimes feel slightly sore after using products but this one gentle 'kisses' my skin. It is the Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme. I recommended anyone with a similar skin type to mine to try this :). 


Step 6 - Origins GinZing 'efreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and De-puff' - I dab a rice grain size amount underneath my eyes and smooth through. I have such dark bags under my eyes which really open them up and I love this product and the best thing about it is it lasts for ages because you only need a small amount. 


Step 7 - Is a combinational step and if I am wearing a blocked colour lipstick that day,  then it is vital. I scrub my lips with this Bubblegum Lip Scrub which is a sugar scrub that you lick off. I then smooth it over with La Prairie moisturising lip balm and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, I cannot get enough of this and it is the best lip balm in the world. I have really bad cracked lips which flake so badly. This makes my lips beautiful soft and I love this product for making them that way. :)


What are your skincare treats and tricks??

Clinque Take The Day Off Make - Up Remover

This is my ultimate eye make-up remover... I know you can use this on all of the make up but I find that is isn't so soft on the skin. Particularly at the weekends I wear heavy eye make-up including false eyelashes and I do find that most make-up removers barely scratch the surface when it comes to removing eyelash glue. This leads to my eyes stinging if the glue is left on too long. 

Clinique Take The Day Off Make Up Remover is £15.50 for 125ml - I think to some people tho might seem quite a lot especially when good old soap and water can do the trick. When applying this I only ever use one double thickness cotton wool pad with only a small amount of product. It is a great product if you like me struggle to get all off your make-up off! 

Has anyone else tried other Take The Day Off range???

MUA Hide & Conceal Cover Up Stick Medium

   
Every time I go into Superdrug the MUA concealer is ALWAYS sold out in Medium and I have been wanting it for ages. Now I don't have crazy bad skin but I do get the odd blemish so I am a sucker for a concealer. This MUA one retails at £1 and probably is the BEST I have ever used. As you know I am a sucker for MUA products and it is the price that seems to draw me in but this product is amazing that I have taken you before and after shots of my chin so you can see the results. 


I seem to have just festered up a cluster of spots on my chin, and the rest of my face is in pretty good condition for some reason. So I thought considering this is probably an area of my skin at it's worst will it cover them up and also will it last. Wednesday I tried it out, as I was working a 9hour shift and no time to top up my make-up. After four hours, they were slightly more visible then they were when i put on my make up but not as bad and then I topped up on my lunch break and they were fine until the end of my night. 


Here's the results:
Before:

After:

What do you think ladies?? I think it is worth £1 right? 

Lush Cupcake Face Mask

Lush Cupcake face mask was £5.75 for a pot of 75g - which I though was quite pricey as I am used to slapping on face mask really thick. The sales assistant also said that I could get 4-6 face masks out of this pot, and by the looks of the first attempt - I think she might be right.  I tried a Lush face mask a couple of years back (it was the garlic one) and I choose that specific one because it was meant to be good for blemishes from what a read on the pot. 


The lady who served me in the Bromley branch was probably one of the most helpful sale assistants that I have come across in a while, she was tip top on her product knowledge. She recommended this cupcake mask for me even though I was put off by the fact that on the pot it says it is for oily and teenage skin - neither of which is applicable for myself though I do have occasional break outs :(. 


It smells like chocolate and contains cocoa butter and powder, linseed, peppermint oil, spearmint oil and sandalwood oil. It is rough texture to apply and my face looks like I've fallen over into some shit but if you can get part that then this product is great. Actually I think great is an understatement. My skin has never felt as good as it has since I used the masks - the only downside is that a blemish has come out on my chin but I think the mask brought it out. Other than that my skin feels clean and soft with a radiant glow. Big love for this product.


Has anyone else tried Lush face masks?

Clean and Clear Morning Energy Moisturiser

There is  not much to say about this product as it does what is on the tin so to speak. I picked it up in Boots for £3.99. I love the smell of it, I love the texture (it isn't too thick) and I love the way it picks up my skin. In January, I find that my skin lacks any boost, when I saw this (and now I'm not going to lie) I was immediately attracted to the yellow packaging. It sounds silly but I am a packaging girl... that and yellow is my favourite colour. Win Win. 


It says "Skin brightening moisturiser is a non-greasy moisturiser that has been uniquely formulated with lemon and papaya extracts. The formula makes your skin feel soft and smooth and visibly brightens your skin. Refreshing citrus fragrance that awakens your senses." I love seeing if the product meet the criteria that it sets for itself. 


Okay so it is non-greasy but I would say it is a matte moisturiser, it definitely smells lemony (big love for that), It makes you skin feel soft and smooth BUT only on time of application. A couple of hours later skin is normally back to usual state. Unsure if it brightens my skin, but the smell brightens my mood. So I guess that kind of counts. 


I do like this product and a key thing for me is that I always keep the price in mind too. In that case it is worth £4 but it isn't a miracle product. For me it looks good and smells nice (two things that I fall for).


Has anyone got any purchase pitfuls like me?

Boots Eye Gel

I am in need of massive help. I want to find an eye gel/cream which de-puffs, and helps with the bags under my eyes. This product is probably one of the cheapest in the range and I know many of you may think why waste money on a product that doesn't work just because it is cheap. But I don't like paying out a lot of money on items and then I get disappointed in them thus I regret wasting masses. 

Now this product is OK, it cools my eyes if they are really puff. I normally apply it morning and night. It's OK. It has cucumber in it so it doesn't irritate my skin and it smells nice.

I don't have much to say on this product. 

But if anyone can recommend an eye cream or gel that would be great!

Nivea Face Wipes

For most of you, I think you might find this a pretty mundane post - that and it might seem a little pointless. Though I feel it necessary after spending just grabbing the packet of face wipes which seem to be the most appealing or that are on offer. Simply because I need them for a quick fix for taking off my make up - they are no way a replacement for my skincare routine, but after a long day or a late night I don't want to be taking 20 minutes sorting myself face out and sometimes I don't have the capability to do so. 


These Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Gentle/Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes are my favourite. I chop and change between the dry & sensitive ones and the normal & combination ones because my skin seems to change by the moment. Both types have the same desired effect. It gets my enough make up off and in particularly for eye make it seems to work the best and doesn't leave you eyes feeling stingy. Probably because they are alcohol free, I used to always go for anti blemish ones and then one day I had a skin consultation and they actually said my skin blemishes weren't really that excessive to class my skins as problem. In fact I just have dry skin.  


I wipe them onto my face into circular motions and they don't tend to dry out my skin either so it doesn't matter if i forget to put moisturiser on. You get 25 wipes in a pack and when i was in Boots on Tuesday they had them on special 3 packs for £5... Bargain. 


What are you safe beauty products?? Has anyone else tried these?