A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You know, for all the chemical exfoliators in the world, there’s still nothing quite like giving your face a good scrub. But can you actually do that past the age of 25 without feeling guilty that you’re being too harsh on your delicate skin?

Well, yes. Yes you can.

INA Crystals White Gold Glow Face Wash is an SLES-free facial cleanser that combines a rich, nourishing formula with the scrubby goodness of ground loofah and liquid crystal. The finely-ground loofah provides the perfect amount of scrubbiness without feeling scratchy or harsh against my skin.

The proof is in the post-washing glow that looks back at me in the mirror without a hint of increased redness across my sensitive areas.

Having so far waxed lyrical about the pleasures of the White Gold Glow Face Wash, I have to say that I wish it posessed a more luxurious scent.  I know many, many women can’t use highly-scented products. But, if I’m spending £23 on a face wash, I want that all-encompasing end-of-the-day relaxing experience when I take my makeup off. And for me, a big part of that is a damn-good aroma – I’d describe the scent as… earthy.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

That aside, the blend of sweet almond, basil, fennel, juniper berry, and carrot oils make for a nourishing experience that complements the exfoliation process and provides a longer-term moisture boost for my combination/dry skin.

Heartily recommended.

Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultane, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Disodium Cocoamphoacetate, Parfum (Fragrance), Sal (Himalayan Crystal Salt), Sodium Chloride, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sucrose Cocoate, Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Limonene

INA Crystals White Gold Glow Face Wash is available online at Zuneta.com, priced at £23 for 100ml

* press sample

Remember this post?  The mystery brand conducted a huge facebook-driven campaign involving over 500,000 secret samples being sent out to households across the UK.  Feedback on the mystery product has been pretty positive with 91% of testers saying that they would recommend the product to a friend.

Well, I can finally reveal the brand behind The Big Skincare Mystery (and some of you guessed it!) as Clearasil!

The new Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts range has been packed with superfruits known for their antioxidant properties and soothing plant extracts, and the flagship product in the range is the new Clearasil PerfectaWash.  A face wash dispenser that automatically dispenses the perfect dose of cleanser to ensure effective cleansing without over-drying.  This is available in two variants: superfruits or soothing plant extract.

In addition to the PerfectaWash, Clearasil’s new range includes the  2 in 1 Vitamins & Extracts Wash and Mask (the one we’ve all been trialling), Vitamins & Extracts Scrub and Vitamins & Extracts Cleansing Wipes.

As for how I got on with the 2 in 1 Vitamins & Extracts Wash and Mask*?  Well pretty good actually.  I didn’t experience any of the dryness that I would normally associate with using a product aimed at problem skin-types.  Literally, none at all but I wasn’t keen on the scent and as a result, didn’t enjoy using this as a mask – I prefer something that feels and smells a little more luxurious on my skin!  Having said that, I will be repurchasing this to use as a daily wash (used after oil cleansing) simply because it left my skin feeling freshly cleansed without being stripped and it’s cheaper than my Bare Minerals cleanser.  If it goes on to do effective battle with my blemishes and breakouts, then even better!  I think combination skintypes are going to really enjoy this product.

The new range is already available to buy instore and online at Boots.com with prices starting from £3.49

* press sample

Like Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher Jane Tennison (sexier)… I’m taking on a cryptic challenge to uncover the secret behind The BIG Skincare Mystery.  Unlike my Prime Suspect role model, they’ll be no dead bodies (only dead skin), and hopefully no issues with institutionalised sexism.

A suspect package containing an unbranded, unmarked bottle of lotion dropped through my letter box* yesterday morning with the curious label you see above attached.  I shall call it… Exhibit A.  A milky, pale green hue with a creamy formula that smells fresh and a little bit like cucumber(?).  Curiouser and curiouser!

Let’s look at the evidence.

All I know about it (thanks to a purposefully vague press release) is that it’s a new multi-purpose daily cleanser which promises to tackle common skin issues like oiliness without leaving skin feeling tight or dehydrated.  Well, it’s picked a tough tester here because my skin tightens at the mere sight of anything targeted toward oilier skins thanks to my typical combination/unbalanced skin type.

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Betonite, Kaolin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Xantham Gum, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Salicylate, Persea Gratissima Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, CI 77891, CI 42090, CI 19140

In my non-expert opinion, the ingredients suggest that it’s something we’ll find on the high street *strokes chin thoughtfully* and I see clay and salicylic acid to help degunk those pores.  I’m told that it’s multi-use and as well as a daily face wash, it can be employed as a face mask up to 3x weekly, leaving on for up to three minutes before rinsing clear.

Dermatologist Susan Mayou from the Cadogan Clinic, London says: “When it comes to facial cleansing, many products, especialy thouse designed for problem skin, can cause drying if used every day.  The impressive thing about this mystery new range is that each product has been specially balanced with ingredients that clear blemishes effectively but are also gentle enough to be used as part of an everyday cleansing regime”.

So.

Who wants to be Watson to my Sherlock? (I know, the comparisons are getting bolder)

If you want to join in with the fun, head over to the facebook page for The Big Skincare Mystery and request a mystery sample to try for yourself – by doing so, you also stand the chance at winning your share of £1000 in Topshop vouchers.  The BIG reveal will take place on March 1st 2012.  The game is afoot!

* press sample

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.