A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Since discovering cleansing oils about a year ago, I couldn’t go back to life without them.  I didn’t believe it could ever be possible to remove makeup so effortlessly and quickly.  If you’ve never tried including a cleansing oil as part of your beauty routine – you must.

My benchmark cleansing oil is DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil.  This was my first foray into oils and I instantly fell in love.  One thing that I have never loved however, is the price.  At £16 + £3.95 shipping from the DHC website, this is venturing very closely into a price range that I’m not happy to pay.

So come, join me in my quest to find a purse-friendly alternative…

I have already blogged about the disaster that is Smashbox’s Cleansing Oil (thankfully now discontinued, although I still have my full bottle sitting in my bathroom cabinet *just bin it already*)

Next on my list was Shiseido’s Perfect Oil thanks to a recommendation by Kathi from Lotus Palace whose opinions on all products Japanese and Korean I hold in high esteem.

Let’s have a couple of quick fire comparisons:

Packaging… Yeah, Shiseido wins this one easy… simply prettier to sit on your shelf, plus it comes with a little ‘clip’ (not pictured) to put round the neck of the bottle to avoid the pump being mistakenly depressed whilst travelling – you do NOT want this shit leaking all over your holiday clothes!

The Shiseido oil has a fairly pleasant fragrance whilst the DHC smells like chip fat.

Shiseido’s formula is thin and watery compared to DHC’s heavier, oilier formula.   A lot of people would prefer Shiseido’s easy to spread formula I would imagine, but not me!  I actually prefer the heavier, oilier texture of the DHC as it feels so lovely to massage into my skin.

They perform equally brilliantly at shifting the makeup.  Heavy foundation?  “No problem!”  Waterproof mascara?  “Lemme at it!” – so yes, top marks for both on that score.

Shiseido easily triumphs with regards to cost… it literally piddles all over DHC.  I paid £8.50 for a 150ml bottle on eBay, compared to nearly £20 for DHC’s 200ml.  Also, because the Shiseido spreads so easily – I find that unless my makeup is particularly heavy, I can get away with using only 1 pump each time.

However, there is one thing that sets them apart and unfortunately it makes the Shiseido a big fat fail for me.

Emulsification people, I cannot stress the greatness of DHC’s emulsifying abilities!  This thick, slightly smelly but extremely effective oil gently foams on contact with water before melting entirely leaving my face clean and residue free.  It doesn’t stick to my cloths, the basin or my skin.  I always ‘double cleanse’ with a mild soap afterwards out of habit, but when using the DHC oil, it wouldn’t bother me if for some reason I couldn’t.

The Shiseido just can’t compete.  It’s not THAT far off… It’s not a complete loser like the Smashbox, but it does leave a slight residue and I can feel an oiliness on my hands which doesn’t disappear until I’ve 2nd cleansed.  It also means that I have to scrub the sink after EVERY use or my husband calls me a minger for leaving the sink scummy. (Like he can talk with all those beardy little hairs he leaves behind after shaving, and he’s SO showing his age with that particular term of ‘endearment’… ).

I digress…

In conclusion, I won’t be repurchasing the Shiseido… but I also still refuse to spend £20 on a cleansing oil, so I need to hunt down my next contender!

My enjoyment at admiring my latest Body Shop haul was short lived when…

…to my horror, I opened up my Oui, Oui, Oui lip butter only to discover that the lip butter goblin had swiped the lot.

The greedy little bastard had even somehow managed to get the plastic wrap back on the pot ensuring it was hygenically resealed (just to mess with my mind some more you understand).

Um, do you think The Body Shop will believe me?  Or will they think I’m some kind of sick desperado who goes around buying Oui, Oui, Oui lip butters… painstakingly scraping out the contents, washing up the pots and returning them for a new one?

I wouldn’t mind SO much, but sods law dictates that I didn’t haul from my local Body Shop… oh no, I had to get this from the store 15 miles away didn’t I.

Anyway, onto the rest of my haul…

Olive Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner: Have heard such good things about this.  My scalp is a mess at the minute, I always suffer from soreness this time of year so I’m hoping something a little more natural than my usual products will help.

Mandarin Orchid Shower Gel: Love my bathing products to smell fruity or tropical and citrusy scents are at the top of my list!

Vitamin E Face Mist: Replacing my last bottle which I find essential for giving my mineral foundation a more dewy appearance.

Rich Plum handwash: This was in the sale, and now that I’m a full time nappy changer – I’m always washing my hands, so thought I’d indulge in something a little more luxurious than Carex!

Almond Home Fragrance Oil: I already own this one (I collect them), but it’s one of my favs so grabbed another bottle while I saw it.

Chamomile Essential Oil: My super bargain of the day, I usually drip a little of this into some milk and add to the bath, it’s normally over £11 a bottle, this was reduced to £1.75 – very happy!

Simply Purify Rejuvenating Bath Soak: Another sale item, contains wasabi extract… love wasabi!

Was sorely tempted by the Coconut Body Scrub too, but I’ve still got a Nirvana Spa one I bought at The Vitality Show to use up.

What are your Body Shop favs?

I’ve never understood cleansing in the traditional cotton wool pad and white cream sense…

I just don’t feel like my face is clean unless it has come into contact with water at some point during my getting up/going to bed routine.

Being a confirmed ‘washer’ doesn’t stop me from being tempted by lovely smelling cleansing lotions and equally fresh smelling bottles of toner – but in general, I just don’t get it?

It seems to me that ‘cleansing’:

a) takes longer
b) involves wiping chemicals on your face and then not washing them off
c) is more expensive
d) involves more waste (cotton wool pads)
e) is less ‘portable’ when travelling

I don’t even own a bottle of make-up remover… although, wait… does cleansing oil count? No, I’m discounting it because it doesn’t involve cotton wool pads and you still need water to use it.

Any of you ‘cleansers’? If so, tell me why! Has no-one let me in on the big secret? I know it’s a personal preference thing and that there are no right or wrong choices, but I would love to undrstand the motivation behind it!

Quick PSA thanks to catching this on moneysavingexpert.com before heading off to bed…

If you’re near an Elemis counter (John Lewis) today or tomorrow (Friday/Saturday) – take any old bottle or jar of moisturiser that you don’t use anymore (even if it’s empty) and swap it for a shiny new 15mls of Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream (apparently worth £22.50) – perfect for travelling!

My favourite brand for natural skin/hair/bodycare products is currently offering a fantastic discount!

You can get 50% off all orders online at Naked Bodycare until the 14th June (exc. p&p)

Just enter the code: tweet09 at checkout to activate the discount.

Click the link to be taken to the Naked Bodycare website.

I was on the lookout for a replacement for my beloved DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (which at £16 a bottle is a touch rich for my blood whilst currently hemorrhaging money in preperation for my new arrival)… when I came across Smashbox Cleansing Oil on eBay for £5 a bottle.

I’ve been trying it for 3 weeks now and thought I’d give my verdict on how it compares to DHC.

It’s a huge bottle in comparison to most branded Cleansing Oils weighing in at 345ml and is definitely thinner and lighter so a little really goes a long way!  It doesn’t cause me any sensitivity – even practically rubbing it into my eyes (and I often react to the mildest of products).  It removes all that DHC does and removes everything perfectly – so far top marks…

I’m not a huge fan of the smell, it’s slight cucumber-ey in a cheap rather than refreshing way, but it’s not terribly noticeable.  The real problem though…

…It just doesn’t emulsify well at all (which DHC does brilliantly), this stuff sticks to my face-cloth and skin like tar no matter how many times I rinse in hot water.  Which means that even after the next step of washing my face with my favourite cleanser/mild soap I can still feel the oil on my skin thanks to it transferring back from my face-cloth. 

I also have to scrub the sink everytime I wash my face as it leaves a ring of make up on the sink – not really a problem (infact it’s quite satisfying looking at all that makeup grime in a gruesome sunburn-peeling kinda way) but worth mentioning.

This ‘problem’ as I see it might not bother you if you’re used to traditional OCM, but if you’re prone to breakouts – you need to be extra vigilant to ensure your skin is free from the product after cleansing.

I bought my Smashbox Cleansing Oil from this seller, it’s available from other sellers and also some of the discount cosmetic websites have it in stock at a good price as it’s now a discontinued Smashbox skincare item.

However, I won’t be buying it again – I just don’t have the patience last thing at night to meticulously go over my skin a 100x to ensure all the oil is removed.  Such a shame, ‘cos everything else about it is truly spot-on.

I can’t bring myself to bin it either seeing as it does work so well in all other aspects.  I shall have to invest in some more face cloths and ensure I only use one for the oil and refill the sink a couple of times inbetween cleansing… makes it all a bit high maintenance though!

Oh, I hate to give it such a low score – but that singular problem is a BIG deal for me.

[starreview tpl=14]

My skin is typical combination/dry, so I’m always looking out for a moisturiser that’s gonna quench the dryness without making my t-zone look like an oil slick.  I also have the added bonus of sensitivity.  Not hugely so, but if my skin isn’t liking something, it reacts by tingling, reddening and leaving little dry scaly bits once the redness subsides.

After testing a new anti ageing night cream, I developed those unwanted sensitivity effects.  I was left cursing and battling this by slathering on my Eucerin Q10 Active Fluid (love!) which always helps to tame the dryness without leaving the greasies – great stuff!  However, as much as I love Eucerin, my fickle soul is well aware that it’s not kind to my purse at £17.51 for 50ml.  So when I ran out, I was on the hunt for an alternative.

Enter Adrien Arpel Daily Defense Moisturiser SPF15.

I came across this whilst browsing Direct Cosmetics for the princely sum of £4.99 (DC is one of my absolute fav places for bargain hunting – check it out!) and in hindsight I wish I’d bought more than one pot seing as it’s disappeared from the website now.

I like my day moisturisers to have SPF, and during the summer months, I layer this with even more sunblock – either that or I end the day looking like Rudolph.

Adrien Arpel Daily Defense Moisturiser SPF15, comes in your standard frosted little glass pot, I do wish that the pot were more opaque as I’ve read that sunlight can diminish the potency of antioxidants, regardless – it just means I store this in a darker place – ‘cos I’m a geek.

Let’s see what it says on the back of the box….

…not a huge amount actually.  I’m not sure what a ‘measured’ dose is either.

It’s a fairly thick cream, slightly solid (in the same way good old Nivea Creme is) with a slight pearlescent sheen.  Doesn’t feel at all greasy to the touch and feels very light to rub in.

It does leave a slightly white cast if you’re not meticulous with rubbing it in or layer it on a bit too thick – but I find that quite normal with any products that contain SPF.  You just need to be a little more careful to ensure that the product is evenly spread as it does disappear.  My skin drinks this stuff up like there’s no tomorrow – it causes me absolutely no irritation.  It sinks in beautifully and doesn’t make my nose look like an oil slick.  Most importantly it leaves my skin feeling super soft to the touch and is a lovely base for my makeup.

Keep an eye out for it (I know I will be!), it seems to belong in the same category as the Gale Hayman stuff and often appears heavily reduced on the various cosmetic discount websites.

[starreview tpl=14]

In honour of my due date (yes, that’s today little dink if you’re paying attention – are you ever coming out smelly bum?) I thought I’d share my thoughts on a skincare line that I’ve been using throughout my pregnancy.

Mama Mio have a skincare range to suit most everyone, but I think it’s safe to say that they are most well known for their luxurious treats for mummies to be.

This is the kit that I’ve been using…

Mama Mio Mini Kit is for commitment phobes, jet-setters or Mama Mio beginners. This kit contains the best of the Mama Mio skin care range in convenient miniatures, so you can pamper your supermama-self wherever you are.

I was lucky enough to be bought this lovely little kit for Christmas, and have been putting it to good use on my poor pregnancy riddled belly and boobs!

It contains 6 of Mama Mio’s most popular products.

Here’s what Mama Mio say about them, followed by my thoughts…

Boob Tube Firming Cream:

Mama Mio Boob Tube is a product we just can’t do without. If you haven’t heard about it already (voted 10/10 by OK Magazine, winner of Greatest Product from the iParenting Awards) it was Kathy’s saviour when pregnant with twins and forevermore. This will help you defy gravity over time and stop the sag.

A nice balmy cream that helped to soothe on days when I was suffering from a feeling of ultra heaviness and achiness in that area.  I can’t put much stock into gravity defying claims, but as a moisturiser, it’s really nice.  I should also point out that I haven’t developed any stretch marks here compared to the road map that is now my stomach.  Probably a coincidence, but worth mentioning.

Moisturising Shower Cream:

Want to know a secret? Our Moisturising Shower Cream is actually a baby cleanser. We felt that every mama can use a little babying sometimes. That explains why it is so gentle – it won’t strip your skin like a harsh soap.  And of course it is sodium laureth sulfate free – it’s from Mama Mio.

I haven’t used this yet, I’ve packed it in my hospital bag as a post birth shower treat.

Super Rich Body Cream:

Our Super-rich Body Cream is a must for every mama. It’s rich yet quickly absorbed, nourishing but light, and makes skin feel silky with no lingering film, and smell gorgeous. So lavish your skin with this super-nourishing cream and glory at the glow and softness.

My favourite, a stand out product for me – mainly due to the scent, citrusy but with deeper, sweeter notes.  Utterly gorgeous and intoxicating.  I’m very tempted to repurchase this after I’ve had little dink.  Ultra moisturising without leaving a sticky feeling, the scent which is initially quite strong fades leaving a subtle hint on your skin.  It absorbs completely and leaves my skin feeling really soft and supple.

Wonder-Full Balm:

Mama Mio Wonder-Full Balm really is. We called it Wonder-Full Balm because you will find a million different ways to use it. Nine natural oils in a beeswax base, it is really a solid oil that melts in contact with your skin and provides rich intense moisture.

This was a lifesaver throughout the freezing month of January, I slathered it on my elbows, lips and any dry bits that appeared on my face.  Not the most comfortable product to wear thanks to the fact that it is after all a greasy balm that tended to stay on the surface – but it really stopped my skin from cracking compared to the days that I didn’t have it on me… In fairness, I’m not sure how this would have compared to a cheaper version like Badger Balms Healing Balm or even super budget Vaseline – but it definitely smells better than Vaseline!

Gravida Candle:

We added our Gravida Candle as we know that regardless of where you are, if you get five minutes to yourself, you’ll grab it. Whether it is a hotel room, bedroom or just enough room, you can sit back, relax, lay back and breathe deeply.

The most disappointing, I just couldn’t smell anything from this.  I actually thought it was just a plain tealight until I read on the website that it was supposed to be scented.  Total ‘meh’ product for me… and just ‘cos I’m a nerd – a ‘gravida’ is a pregnant woman incase you’re interested – which you like, totally weren’t.

Tummy Rub Oil:

Last but not least is our Tummy Rub Oil. A well tested, beautifully fragrant, omega-rich oil to ease your stretched and itchy skin. It is stretch mark prevention at its very best. It is also brilliant as banishing winter lizard legs…

Another beautifully scented product, but I prefer my Sanctuary Body Oils as I found Mama Mio’s Tummy Rub Oil stubbornly left a filmy coating on my skin despite intense rubbing in!  The little bottle also made application without dribbling it on the carpet a bit of a nightmare!  Despite religious use of this product, I also developed stretchmarks – although not until 35 weeks.  I am prone to stretchmarks though, and in honesty I believe it has far more to do with genetics than what you slather on your skin… I think I was destined to get them no matter what, so for them to only develop in the last 5 weeks of pregnancy is pretty good going and may or may not be related to the product I was using – who really knows?

Ok, so that’s a little run down of Mama Mio’s most popular products for mummies-to-be and my thoughts after using them for a few months.

In conclusion, there are some really nice products in this range, one of them in particular stands out as a product that I would repurchase.  Having said that, there are also products out there on the market designed for everyday use that would match up to the quality of these (and offer the same properties for overstretched pregnant skin) but at half the price.  Although the convenience of having a specially designed range like this can’t be argued against.

I was also delighted to read that:

Every Mama Mio product is safe to use at any time from pregnancy stage to pensionable age. It is Paraben Free, Petrolatum Free, Sodium Laureth and Sodium Laurel Sulphate Free, Xenoestrogen and Phtalates Free, Colourant and Synthetic Fragrance Free.

So if you’ve been searching for products practically guaranteed to be skin friendly – look no further!

If you’re looking for a gift for a mum-to-be, this is a really well put together little kit and couldn’t fail to please a lady in need of a little pampering.