A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You didn’t know that I was psychic did you?  It’s ok, I didn’t expect you to… after all, I’m the one with the special powers, not you… and I know what you’re thinking right now…

“…there is never a time in my life that I don’t need my cleansing products to smell like hot-buttered popcorn.”

You’re right.

When it comes to the brand LUSH, I feel like I’m regressing. I’m sure that the proper rite of passage is to begin with a teenage addiction of all things LUSHY, then as you mature… you move onto the beauty halls and away from the “sniff me, sniff me!” LUSH stuff, keeping only a mild interest going (and a few furtive dips into the store for an occassional bubble bar topup).

Me?  I had no interest in LUSH stuff growing up.  I was a Body Shop girl through and through.  It didn’t help matters that we didn’t actually have a local store I could nip into… but still, I just wasn’t particularly tempted by the brand.  When I did develop more of an interest, mostly through seeing other people’s LUSH hauls and the like… I appreciated their ability to turn a boring bath into a far more interesting one.  But beyond that?  I still sidelined them somewhat.

It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve come to the realisation that I have a few LUSH staples in my bathroom that you’d have to prise out of my cold, dead hands before I’d give them up.

I’ve just discovered a new one.

Let The Good Times Roll is a skin cleanser that delivers a damn good exfoliation while its at it.  On paper, with my prone-to-redness skin, I should probably run a mile from its manual exfoliation capabilities but my flaky skin would stage a mutiny if I dared to stop using this now.

To use it, you break a small amount away from the crumbly mass contained in the pot and rub it into your palms with a little water until it begins to emulsify and develop a creamier texture.  It’s packed with grains of maize flour and polenta to exfoliate the skin and I’m careful to use only a light hand as I massage it over my skin.  If you’re particularly sensitive, I’d recommend restricting its use to a couple of times a week but I’ve been using it every morning for over a fortnight now without any signs of irritation or over-exfoliation.

I use it when I’m in the shower, keeping the pot within easy reach… it’s a little messier than your average cleanser and I prefer to do my exfoliating immediately prior to my makeup application anyway.  Before I started using this, I was using Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant for exactly the same reasons and Let The Good Times Roll has completely replaced this high-end product, which will shave 10s of pounds off my yearly beauty budget, hoorah!

The reason that I place this above the Dermalogica for my needs, is not only because of its price point but also because it leaves a moisturising residue behind that the Dermalogica daily exfoliator doesn’t.  This leaves my freshly-cleansed skin feeling more comfortable in the short-term, giving me half a chance to get my fringe dried before I have to get my daily moisturising skincare routine organised.  It may even be enough to replace some of my moisturising needs as the weather warms up, time will tell.

I’m a proper fan of this product, I was going to leave my usual full-month of skincare testing before writing my review but I just don’t need to… I don’t need to judge it on any anti-ageing or treatment capabilities, I just want to praise it for how it fits neatly into an already established routine, rids my skin of the daily flakies, and will leave me feeling less light in pocket than the product I was using before.  Job done.

LUSH Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser has now been made a permanent part of the LUSH skincare lineup, it’s priced from £6.35 for 100g available instore and online.

* press sample

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You can say that again! Well, unless you’re me and managed a stonking D at A Level French, and then… you probably can’t say that again.  You see I was top of the class in French all the way through “big” school, got a nice shiny A* in my GCSEs and then discovered that things were about to get serious at college.

All those verbs, tenses, and other stuff that I was pretty rubbish at meant that having a good vocabulary could only get me so far.  I still (genuinely) wake from nightmares about not having done my coursework, fifteen years later!

But just because I’m not the world’s best French communicator doesn’t mean that I can’t hold my own in a Super U! Le fromage, le vin, et le pain au chocolat!  I can sweep a French supermarket faster than Dale Winton in a beauty parlour.

My last attempt at clearing the shelves whilst on holiday was particularly fruitful and I came away with plenty of goodies, one of which was this bottle of makeup remover which I picked up from Monoprix.  Mixa appears to be your standard high-street brand with a bias toward sensitive and delicate skins.  The brand has an entire range of baby products and Leila is currently working her way through their hair and body wash as I type.  The brand have been around since 1924, obviously a French staple… so I can’t help wondering why I haven’t heard of this rather fabulous makeup remover before?!

Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante is, to all intents and purposes, a micellar cleansing water, similar to the legendary Bioderma Crealine.  Both cleansers leave no trace of their use behind, no greasiness, residue or anything left on the skin that would make you think you’d used anything other than water to cleanse.

Unlike the Bioderma, this one may not be universally suitable for everyone with sensitive skin or eyes.  It contains a perfume and has a faint rose scent… something which I love and hasn’t caused me any irritation (remember the Mixa is formulated to suit sensitive, reactive skin) but it’s an important difference to note.

As for the performance, it’s on a par with Bioderma… perhaps even better.  You see, I buy the Bioderma because I sorta assumed it was the best of the best.  But it’s quite possibly not.  Make up artists swear by the stuff, stockpile it like it’s going out of fashion… and we (as normal beauty lovers) want in on that action!  But, our needs really aren’t the same, are they?  Professional makeup artists need a product that will do a sterling job on all their models, and while its performance is in-arguably awesome, I think its merits as a suit-all cleanser override everything else.

I put the two cleansers to a side-by-side test.

Both cleansers actually did a brilliant job at removing a combination of cream eyeshadow, mascara (non-waterproof), and tight-lined eyeliner… but to my eye, one fared slightly better than the other… just a wee bit… can you see a difference between the two eyes?

As you view the picture, I used Bioderma Crealine on the right eye (my left), and the Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante on the left eye (my right).  I think that the Mixa outperformed the Bioderma at removing the eyeliner from the lash-line.

Neither product caused any irritation to my eye and neither left any residue behind.

The clincher for me is the fact that the Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante costs around 4.50 € for 200ml (but comes in duo packs for 6.50 €) whereas the Bioderma Crealine costs 8.00 € for 250ml or 12.00 € for 500ml.  Of course, you have to think about availability and the fact that Bioderma is now readily available in the UK makes this a less appealing swap.  However, I’ve already instructed my parents to stock up on the Mixa for me when they return from France in the Autumn.

Who needs boxes of cheap wine when I can get them to bring back bottle upon bottle of makeup-remover? Err…

Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante… bloody brilliant if you can get your hands on it!

I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a cleansing oil connoisseur, but I’ve been a fan of them for a little while now and have tried far more than my fair share in the quest for perfection.  The beauty of a cleansing oil, for lazy girls like me, is that they offer a perfectly quick solution to makeup removal AND cleansing.  In theory.  In reality, I often feel as though I need to cleanse with another product once I’ve removed my makeup with the cleansing oil.  It’s not how they’re supposed to work – but I find that many others feel the same way, advocating the double cleanse method.

Douvall’s All-in-one Argan Oil Cleanser is a 100% natural and 71.9% organic cleanser, enriched with almond, safflower seed and grapeseed oil as well as the all important Argan Oil from which the cleanser derives its name.  In-fact, a glance at the ingredient’s list reveals that Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil is indeed at the top of the bill, reassuring.

I’ve been enjoying trying out this 20ml travel-size sample of the Oil Cleanser over the last couple of weeks, you only need a tiny amount to melt away your makeup so even just a small amount lasts a significant while.  The oil is thinly-textured but sufficiently viscous enough to provide some great oily massage on the skin.  My favourite thing about the Douvall’s All-in-one Argan Oil Cleanser is the scent – some oil cleansers stink, even the really posh eones.  In general, I’ve found that the more “organic” the brand, the better the scent that’s derived from some of the natural oils.   The Douvall’s cleanser is an absolute citrus dream, tsharing top position for the best I’ve ever used in terms of scent (Nude Skincare’s is the other one).  It’s uplifting and really encourages me to linger with the oil on my face whilst I massage it into my skin, not a bad thing.

It doesn’t emulsify very well, so be prepared with your basin of warm water and make sure that you rinse completely – it will take a few passes until your skin feels oil-free.  It doesn’t leave my face feeling tight though I still need to moisturise afterward.  A lovely, pampering treat for a mundane daily task.

Douvall’s All-in-one Argan Oil Cleanser is priced at £28.00 for 150ml and is available to buy online at The Urban Retreat Beautique.

If you’re looking to stock up on the classic Liz Earle cleanser – you know, the one that’s gathered a veritable army of fans since its launch 17 years ago – you might want to take a gander at the special edition which goes live on the website today.  Combining the original tried-and-tested formula with the aromatics of rose and lavender essential oils, it promises a relaxing cleansing experience.

This is all well and good, unless you’re anything like me, because by the time you drag your sorry self to the bathroom in search of a flannel, your main priority (other than emerging with a clean face) is not to fall asleep at the sink and drown yourself.

For the more alert among us, this could be just the thing to switch brain from day to night mode.  Or you could reach for it in the mornings and then BLAME the cleanser for everything you do wrong that day.  “Sorry, sorry!  Didn’t see your thumb there…. it’s this new cleanser, it’s the most relaxing thing ever and I keep accidentally washing my face with it in the mornings!”.  That would totally work for almost everything.

£2.00 from every product purchased will be donated to youth charity, The Princes Trust which aims to help provide support to young people looking for work, education and training.

The Liz Earle Rose and Lavender Special Edition Cleanse & Polish is available in a larger-than-usual 150ml pump and is priced at £19.75, available from today at Liz Earle Stores, the Customer Centre on  
01983 813913, lizearle.com, John Lewis, and on QVC

What do The Grand Canyon, The Aswan Dam, my blackheads and the Great Pyramids all have in common?  All totally visible from space.

I’ve been reliably informed that my unwanted facial potholes have often been mistaken by the Mars Rover as an interplanetary field of black holes, thoroughly capable of sucking all living matter within a 1000 mile radius into them.

Sounds about right to be honest.

I’ve been trying a daily scrub from Neutrogena which promises to help eradicate these ‘orrible blighters and although it’s early days, I’ve been pretty impressed with the results so far.

There are a billion blackhead-busting scrubs out there but what makes this one a little bit different is the fact that instead of being advised to use it only a couple of times a week, Neutrogena have formulated this one gently enough to be used every day as a replacement to your usual cleanser.

The key ingredients which should make all the difference to our beloved blackheads in this instance is 2% salicylic acid.  A rather brilliant beta hydroxy acid which helps break down congestion deep inside the pore – and used regularly (which you can with this scrub) – will help keep pores free from debris.  Combine this with the manual exfoliation and massage provided by the synthetic microbeads, and it’s a pretty decent way to encourage clogged pores to remain clear.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will also notice that the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub contains no SLS, and as a result, doesn’t foam much.  The wonderful side-effect of this, for me at least, is that I don’t have to run screaming from the bathroom in a dash to slather moisturiser on my rapidly-tightening face.  I find it a touch drying but nothing that would stop me from using this daily.

Because of the salicylic acid, I’ve actually been leaving this on my skin a little longer than you may expect in order to give the chemical the best chance at having an effect on my deep-space-nine (billion) blackheads.  I’m not the biggest fan of the microbeads because they feel a little granular to me and not quite as smooth as I’d like but I’ve been gently rubbing them in a circular motion around the sides of my nose (area of most congestion) and then leaving the product on my face for a couple of minutes before rinsing my skin clean.

I’ve noticed an improvement in the appearance of my blackheads, especially the larger ones… which I suspect, are the ones that are probably the easiest to flush out.  I’m not sure that I love using the product enough to use it daily for like the. rest. of. my. life.  It smells kinda unpleasant…. in a medicinal way but I’ll definitely reach for it often when I notice those little alien heads peeping out of my pores.

Beam me up spotty.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub is currently on offer at Superdrug, priced at £2.34 – definitely worth a punt for those among us who are blackhead-affilicted!

Got blackheads?  How do you bust them?

17 years ago, Liz Earle launched one of the UK’s most popular cleansing products and the brand haven’t looked back since.

Until now.

For two days only – you’ll be able to purchase the cult Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish at its original launch price of just £9.50, instead of its current retail price, £14.25 – a substantial saving of £4.75.

I anticipate this will be a phenomenally popular offer, so get in fast as soon as it goes live.  The offer is available only online at lizearle.com and via the Customer Centre (01983 813 913) from Wednesday 23rd May.

Will you be purchasing for the first time or restocking?

Inlight are a soil association-backed organic skincare brand hailing from deepest, darkest Cornwall with a philosophy geared toward homeopathic formulations and highly concentrated products.

The product I’m talking about today is their Organic Face Cleanser which is packed full of natural ingredients suspended in a moisturising base of coconut oil.  I’m familiar with many types of oil and balm-based cleansers, they form an important step in my daily cleansing routine since discovering the “like attracts like” properties of oil for makeup removal a few years ago.

Inlight’s Organic Face Cleanser is, to put it simply, high quality.  It contains no synthetic fillers to bulk the volume and every last gram has been engineered with great thought as to what purpose each ingredient serves.  The website impressively lists the skincare benefits alongside the ingredient list, transparency is key and it’s a real pleasure to be able to break down the properties to their base values.

For your money (£27.00), you get 60ml of product.  That’s not a lot of product for a cleansing balm, something that you reach for daily and although you don’t need a huge amount to cleanse your face… I was only able to make my pot last around 35 days.  We’re not talking an inexpensive product but then… you don’t pay peanuts and get high quality do you?

I sometimes find the scent overpowering with organics, they can be very heady and herbal.  Not unbearable but often a little overwhelming.  This face cleanser is reminiscent of a good (but not too heavy) aromatherapy oil, the multiple natural scents in the jar don’t jostle for pole position and I can appreciate a few individual notes in there (mostly the lavender and lemon).

The texture is beautifully creamy, it spreads over my face nicely with good slip but enough drag to encourage a good facial massage during application.  Breathe in deeply as you apply it and you’re benefiting from the fragrance aswell.  I have bitten the bullet, taken the plunge and can confirm that I’ve encountered no eye irritation despite being thoroughly clumsy during the mascara removal stage!  Often oils and balms will cloud my vision (at best) or send me scurrying for the cold water tap to flush my eyes (at worst).  The Inlight Organic Face Cleanser does neither, we’re in the retina-friendly zone with this one!

I don’t have any complaints with makeup removal, it does the job well and cleanses my skin nicely.  I don’t wear waterproof mascara but seeing as this is an oil-based product anyway, I can’t imagine it being less effective on more stubborn products.  My only gripe with the Inlight Organic Facial Cleanser is that it’s not an emulsifying cleanser.  Don’t expect this to turn the water cloudy and rinse cleanly away without a bit of effort on your part.

With hindsight, this is both a good and bad thing.

I’m used to emulsifying cleansers, infact I rate them on how well they emulsify.  I dislike being left with an oily residue which is precisely what this one will do unless you’re diligent in your rinsing, wringing, rinsing, repeat.  For me, this is definitely the 1st step in a 2-part cleansing ritual… I need to double cleanse after using this.  I say it like it’s an inconvenience but the truth is, I’ve always double-cleansed anyway.  Even with the best emulsifiers, so I’m not sure why I consider it an issue.  Infact, because the ingredients are so pure… I’d be tempted to suggest that those with very dry or mature skin not even bother with a 2nd cleanse.  Any residue from those ingredients will probably do you more good than stripping everything away with a 2nd cleanser.  I guess it boils down to what you’re used to.

Which brings me to my final point.  What I’m used to… well, I’m used to oils and balms leaving my skin a little tight.  Nothing I can’t put right with a dose of heavy bed-time moisture but still, it’s a compromise I’ve always made.  The Inlight Organic Face Cleanser doesn’t leave me with any tightness despite feeling more astringent (read: effective) on my combination (read: congested) bits, I’m just not experiencing the dryness I would have expected.  Perhaps it’s the lack of those emulsifying agents?

So there we have it.  An effective, high quality cleanser that I’d rate as excellent for combination skin.  It doesn’t emulsify and it (probably) won’t leave you with tightness.  It smells good and it feels like you’re treating your skin to the best you can afford.  Only problem is, I’m not sure I can afford it on a monthly basis.

Inlight Organic Face Cleanser* is priced at £27.00 for 60ml and available online from Inlight Organic Skincare

* press sample

Until next year, Decleor’s new Aroma Cleanse is a QVC exclusive and claims to leave your skin feeling fresh, cleansed and hydrated.

I’ve been putting a PR sample to the test over the last month…

You only need to use a tiny amount and the pump action nozzle is quite frustrating when judging how hard to de-press in order to dispense a small amount.  Answer, about a 1/3 of the way… and this isn’t always possible!

The product does indeed foam up quickly and spreads smoothly over the skin… it smells pleasant and washes away leaving my skin feeling squeaky clean.  A little too squeaky clean for my normal/dry complexion.

I struggle with this cleanser… after use I develop an immediate and uncomfortable tightness that demands moisture.  After a few days… I notice dry patches along the tops of my cheekbones that extend into the undereye area.  This is simply too stripping for my skin.

I also take issue at the cleanser’s claims that it can be used to remove eye makeup.  I have tried it twice and I wouldn’t wish a third attempt on my worst enemy.  If even a small amount of the Decleor Aroma Cleanse enters my eye… the pain leaves me unable to open my eye properly without it streaming until it passes around 10 minutes later.  I don’t even have sensitive eyes!

I’ll be interested to discover how folks with oilier skins fare with the Aroma Cleanse… it certainly leaves your face feeling clean!

Priced at £24.56, I’m disappointed by this cleanser.  Generally a fan of Decleor (I love their night balms!), this hasn’t lived up to the high expectations I had for it.

Launching exclusively to QVC at midnight on Saturday 14th August is Decléor’s latest cleansing solution.

Decléor’s Aroma Cleanse (£28) is a mousse that promises to deliver well-balanced cleansing with an emphasis on skin-caring ingredients.

In the past, I’ve sworn off mousse or foaming cleanser in favour of cremes.  As someone with combination/sensitive skin I generally find these kind of cleansers quite drying on my easily-irritated fizzog.  However, Aroma Cleanse claims that it will leave my skin feeling (and I quote) “rehydrated”.  Interesting…

The formula promises three distinct actions:

Deep Cleansing

When it comes into contact with water the rich, concentrated cream quickly lathers to a gorgeous mousse-like texture, creating tiny bubbles to swiftly deep cleanse and soften the skin leaving it clean and velvety soft.  The inclusion of two cotton cloths with each pump dispenser also provides a further delicate exfoliating action and helps to ensure skin is left free of residue post-cleanse.

Skin Polishing and Perfecting

Grapefruit, Papaya extract and Japanese White Mulberry exfoliate and gently slough away dull dead skin cells to leave the skin crystal clear with visible clarity and luminosity after just one use.

Moisturising and Plumping

With nourishing Neroli essential oil – also known for it’s decongesting and calming properties – and Hyaluronic acid, a potent protein that occurs naturally in the skin and can hold up to 1000 times it’s own weight in moisture, immediate results on the skin are outstanding.  The skin has renewed plumpness due to the injection and retention of moisture, which gives it an extreme feeling of firmness, while wrinkles appear reduced and skin feels intensely soft and balanced too.

Just a couple of claims to bear in mind while I’m testing the sample I received then… phew!

Mostly, I’ll be concentrating on this moisturising aspect… I’m sceptical!  I’ve never used a mousse or foaming cleanser (and I’ve used a lot!) that hasn’t left me RUNNING for my moisturiser as my skin tightens uncomfortably within minutes of cleansing.

You’re up against it Decléor!

After my rubbish experience trying to snaffle a bargain but effective gentle cleanser, BeautyBay.com generously stepped up to the plate and offered to send me something that they claimed was a personal hero product.

How could I resist?

Priori is a brand that’s new to me but I was interested to discover that the CEO behind the brand is more than just an expert in the field.  He actually developed and launched the world’s first glycolic acid (AHA) product in 1983 – frankly, that’s good enough for me.

Do we know what AHA’s are?  They’re generally considered as the slightly harsher big sister to Fruit Enzymes but essentially they’re doing the same job.  Exfoliation.  Obviously, I didn’t wanna use anything harsh on my skin that’s undergoing laser treatment… but at the same time, I’ve fallen for this method of exfoliation in a big way.

So that was my main concern when I was first reading into and looking at the Priori Gentle Facial Cleanser.  The clue however, is in the name.  Gentle.

I’ve been using this creamy cleanser nightly for over a month now and I’m pleased with it.  No tingling, no irritation, no hint that I’m being exfoliated other than that my skin that is remaining soft, supple and fresh day after day.

The formula is great, one pump dispenses the perfect amount of product with no waste and the cleansing cream glides over my skin without foaming.  It also rinses away instantly leaving no residue behind.  I’m not a huge fan of the scent which is practically impossible to describe (trust me, I’ve been sat here trying for the last 10 minutes).  It’s quite a clinical smell that stops short of being chemical if that makes any sense?  I think I might prefer my products to be a little more girly-scented, how tragic!

I’m finding the Priori Gentle Facial Cleanser non-drying (though I still always follow up with a moisturiser) and most essentially it hasn’t aggravated my skin or any areas of redness.  This really does appear to be as gentle as it promises.

This kind of exfoliation can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun so as with any product containing AHAs or Enzymes, I’m being careful to ensure that I’m using a facial sunblock of at least SPF30 every day.

Priori Advanced AHA Gentle Facial Cleanser 180ml is priced at £21 and available from BeautyBay.com.