No7 Beautiful Skin Radiance Exfoliator

 As far as skin types go, my skin is definitely on the dry side.  It's usually pretty manageable, but if I get lazy with my skincare routine my skin does get dry, and my forehead and nose in particular, become quite flaky.   This is even more apparent with the weather we're having lately; cold wind and central heating can take its toll and my skin has been looking dry and dull.  This is nothing that can't be kept under control buy keeping up with a good skincare routine and this exfoliator is definitely a valuable part of that.  I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of No7's Beautiful Skin range, and I actually think it's a range that is quite underrated.  The products are all of great quality, they look good and they're brilliant value for money, especially with the £5 vouchers that seem to be around more than ever lately.

I'm quite cautious of super "scrubby" exfoliators on my face, such as the St Ives scrubs.  I've never used them personally, but from what I've read online they do seem particularly harsh  and I'm not keen to use something like that on my skin and in all honesty, I don't really need to anyway.  This scrub by No7, despite being really gentle, does all the exfoliating I need it to.  It certainly isn't jam-packed with exfoliating particles, in fact there seems to be hardly any visible pink grains at all.  That said, I can still feel them working as I massage the product into my skin, and upon rinsing away, any dry or flaky patches are gone and I'm left with really smooth, clear skin that actually feels really nice and soft to the touch. It also has a nice, delicate almost floral scent to it, nothing too over powering or artificial which is good for those amongst us who don't like heavily scented products on the face.  This scrub is aimed to those of us with dry skin, though I believe No7 also do a version for more oily skin types.  I'd definitely suggest giving this ago if your skin leans more towards the drier side of things.  It's very gentle, so I'd say it's certainly worth a look if you're worried about a harsher scrub affecting your skin. 

First Impressions: Soap and Glory Moisturisers

I didn't want to call this a 'review' since we all know you're meant to use new skincare products for a while before you know a product is really working for you.  I've not had these quite that long but I'm that pleased with them so far I really want to share them with you.  Soap and Glory's skincare range is something I've pretty much over looked until now; I'm sure any regular readers will know how much I love their makeup and body care ranges, but I've never bothered with any skincare items despite reading many a good review.  After my usual day and night moisturisers ran out, I made my way to Boots and after a bit of browsing I decided to take advantage of their 'third off Soap & Glory' offer and give these a go.  I picked up the For Daily Youth moisturiser to use as a day cream, and the Beauty Sleep Accelerator to use as my new night cream. Soap and Glory recently changed all their skincare packaging to give it a more minimalist and 'grown up' look.  The quirky names and fun outer packaging still remain, but the actual pots and tubes are plain white with bold fonts and much less of a 'retro' feel about them.  I actually really like this combination of stark white packaging, with fun product names and typical Soap and Glory advice like "If you accidentally get product in your eyes, rinse well repeatedly until you no longer feel sorry for yourself." While it's definitely more grown up, you  can still tell it's a Soap and Glory product.

One thing that did worry me about using these products was the fact that they're quite heavily scented. They both smell really fruity, and actually remind me of peach schnapps, which is a little odd!  I don't really have sensitive skin as such, but I've always been a little wary about using scented products on my face just incase. For this reason, I did a sort of 'patch test' on each of them, one at a time, just to make sure I wasn't going to react.  I put a small amount of the night cream on my neck, waited 24 hours and then did the same for the day cream.  With no signs of irritation from either, I was good to go.  

Like I said, I've been using the For Daily Youth each morning after cleansing and toning (when I remember to use my toner that is!). This toothpaste like tube is said to contain a "6-in-1" formulation which maximises moisture levels, soothe stressed skin, rejuvenate tired skin, improve elasticity and soften and smooth the skin.  That's a lot of claims for just one product, and I do think some of them are the same 'claim' but just worded differently.  It's too early to say whether all these claims actually hold up, but so far I've really been liking this moisturiser.  It's lovely and light to apply, sinks into the skin quickly and feels really refreshing. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and hydrated, and creates a lovely base for applying my makeup.  It's definitely becoming a welcome addition to my morning skin routine.

Although not technically an anti-ageing product, many a review of the Beauty Sleep Accelerator have commented on how they've noticed a vast improvement in the appearance of any fine lines and wrinkles.  Being in my (early!) 30s this is something that I'm starting to become more aware of.  Since using this my skin certainly feels plumper and the few fine lines I had are less noticeable.  I've been using this in conjunction with my Body Shop Vitamin E Serum-in-Oil each evening and my skin is so soft and hydrated when I wake up.  On the odd occasion where I've fallen into bed without using these, my skin looks so dull, feels dry and just generally uncomfortable.  The tub itself is smaller than I was expecting, but you only need a small amount of product each time so it should hopefully still last a while.  Soap and Glory also suggest you use this if you're on a long flight, but to be fair I'm pretty sure any good moisturiser would suffice for this purpose.  However, if anybody wants me to test it out at 33,000 feet I'll happily let you pay for me to go on holiday! ;)

All in all, I'm so pleased with both of these moisturisers so far.  They smell nice, sink into the skin quickly, and most importantly have really made a difference to my skin.  My skin feels softer and more plumped, and I'd recommend them to everyone.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

After my disappointment at the No7 melting gel cleanser not being the best at removing my make up, the search continued for a cleanser that would remove all my make up before I went ahead with my trusty No7 hot cloth cleanser.  I was initially tempted by the infamous Emma Hardie balm, but not being a fan of heavily scented products on my face, my search lead me to Clinique.  I'd heard little about this in blog-land until I stumbled across it on Caroline Hirons' fabulous skincare blog, but once I searched for the actual product, I found many a review singing it's praises, and this review is going to be another one.

I was never a fan of Cliniques 3-step system; I didn't mind the moisturiser but aside from that, the only other Clinique product I've used, but actually really liked, was their Take the Day off dual-phase eye make up remover.  I'd never actually noticed the balm version before, and I guess it does look rather inconspicuous in it's little pot, next to Clinques typical tall bottles of cleansers and such. While not the most glamorous packaging, I do like it.  It's neat and compact, and certainly doesn't look cheap or tacky.

On opening the tub, balm doesn't look the most attractive of products, and to be honest it looks an awful lot like a tub of lard.  But don't let this put you off, as this lard-like substance is possibly the best make up remover I've ever used.  You only need a small amount; just scoop it out and massage it all over dry skin.  As you massage, the balm melts into an oil and dissolves make up so quickly.  You can even use this on your eyes; just make sure you do your eyes last or you'll have mascara everywhere! I then tend to add a little water so it emulsifies and massage again, before rinsing a flannel under hand hot water, and wiping away.  The result? Every scrap of make up is gone and my skin feels fresh and clean, and ready to follow up with my second cleanse. The formula is completely fragrance free, and contains no essential oils, which may not be to everyones taste but for sensitive skins it would be ideal.  However, there's no reason why you couldn't follow up with a cleanser rich in these if you so wished. 

L-R: Urban Decay foundation & eyeliner, Rimmel lipstick, Topshop blusher & Benefit cream shadow.

Going, going...

... gone!

I'm really glad I tried out this cleanser.  At £21 it's not super cheap, but it's definitely well worth the money, especially as it'll last a really long time.  I've been using mine for around a month now and apart from a bit of dent from when I was using a bit too much to start with, I've hardly used any.  Inside and out, it's definitely not the most glamorous of cleansers, but it does the job, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters isn't it?

Boots No7 melting gel cleanser

  
I was considering purchasing the Clarins equivalent of this cleansing gel, but as it was the end of the month and therefore I was a little skint, I decided to go for the No7 as I couldn't wait til payday to clean my face!  This cleanser formed the basis of my skincare overhaul, something I needed to do as I'd been getting very lazy with my skincare routine.  When I wasn't being lazy I'd use No7's hot cloth cleanser, which has been a staple of mine for a couple of years, but as everyone's going mad for 'double cleansing' lately, I decided to use this in addition to get my own double cleansing experience.

The cleanser comes in typical No7 packaging, very basic and no-frills, but doesn't look at all cheap or tacky.  It's just a simple white plastic tube with a pink cap.  It's priced at £9, more than half the price of the Clarins cleanser, and can be bought even cheaper when No7 have their £5 vouchers (I got a voucher the other day actually...) out.

As the name would suggest, this cleanser is of a gel consistency, that when massaged into the skin transforms into an oil.  Upon contact with water, it turns into a more creamy consistency which you then rinse away.  I tend to massage the gel into dry skin; (apparently this is how you're meant to cleanse your face, none of that damp skin malarkey!). The oil does make your skin feel kind of heavy, but this loosens as soon as I add a bit of water.  All in all, it actually feels quite nice and soothing. I continue to massage this into my skin before taking a hand-hot flannel and massaging away.  The flannel feels much more luxurious than a muslin cloth and also gives the smallest amount of exfoliation.

 I'd say it removes about 90% of my makeup.  Unfortunately it isn't designed to remove eye-makeup; it made my eyes sore when I tried to remove my mascara! My skin does feel clean and soft after use so it's not all bad.  I've now switched to using this as my morning cleanser and it leaves my skin feeling soft and fresh, and ready to start the day.

Skincare Update

I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm currently overhauling my skincare routine, and after making a few more additions today, I thought I'd give you all a sneek peek into what I'm using at the moment while it's looking all tidy in its new storage which I picked up from TKMaxx for £9.99. They do briliant storage bits I've discovered, it took me forever to decided which basket to pick up and I'll be going back for more I'm sure!

 

As you can see, I've built up a bit of a collection! I've a fair few cleansers on the go; I've been using the No7 hot cloth cleanser for a few years now and I'm still in love with it. The other No7 cleanser is the melting gel cleanser which is a bit of a dupe for the Clarins gel cleanser. I'll be reviewing this soon so keep an eye out for that.  My trusty L'Oreal micellar water is tucked in at the back there and we also have my Champneys cleansing balm, which I am yet to try out. It's supposed to be very exfoliating so I'm looking forward to giving that a go shortly.  Lastly for cleansers, there's my newest addition, the Clinique cleansing balm.

My face scrub of choice is again from No7 and is another product I've bought mulitple times. I use this about twice a week but this may change with the addition of the Champneys balm.  I have the Una Brennan tea tree mask which I turn to if my pores are a bit clogged, and I've just bought the Origins overnight mask for use when my skin is feeling dry.There's also my Sanctuary toner which I reviewed here so I won't go into detail about that, and my No7 day and night creams. Lastly I'm currently using two eye creams, yet another product from No7, as well as my new Origins GinZing eye cream.

I also stocked up on some flannels while in Primark.  I followed the rather amazing Caroline Hirons' advice regarding cleansing and got myself enough for each day, with a couple of spares. If you've not checked out her blog, then I highly reccommend you do if you have any skincare queries. Like I've said, some of these products I'm yet to try out.  I don't like to overload my skin with too many new things at once, I'd much rather introduce things gradually, see if they work for me, then add something else in at a later date. 

Obviously the little Rhino isn't part of my routine, I just thought he looked cute perched on top of my flannels! And yes, that's me in the photo, I'm the one in the grey and pink dress in case you were wondering!

Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner

Toners are something I've pretty much always neglected. I always thought they were unnecessary, and half the time it's enough effort for me to remember to cleanse and moisturise without adding extra steps to my routine.  I'm currently in the process of revamping my skincare routine so this seemed as good a time as any to incorporate a toner.  I didn't want to spend loads of cash, so I opted for the Sanctuary pore refining toner from Boots. At £9, it's certainly not the most expensive, fancy toner out there, but it's not super cheap either.  

The toner claims to be suitable for all skin types and helps to balance skin's PH levels & minimise the appearance of open pores without the skin feeling stripped or dry.  It also contains Witch Hazel to help fight blemishes and reduce any redness.  My skin is generally normal to dry, though I do get the odd oily patch occasionally, so I was looking for something to combat this without aggravating my slightly dry skin either.

The toner comes in a blue, spray bottle and is 150mls in size.  I actually really like the packaging, it's simplistic, yet sleek and doesn't look at all cheap.  It could easily be mistaken for a more expensive product I think.  The spray bottle ensures you control exactly how much product you apply; I tend to do about 3 or 4 squirts onto a cotton wool pad then wipe all over my face after cleansing.   With it being a spray, you can also spray directly on the face (eyes closed of course!) as a mist, to refresh your skin throughout the day.  I'm yet do try this as the bottle is a bit big to carry around all day but I can imagine it's nice and refreshing.

I've been using this toner for a few weeks now and I've definitely seen an improvement in my skin.  I'd noticed my pores were becoming more noticeable on my forehead and nose and this toner has certainly helped to reduced them.  My skin is also a lot smoother and noticeable brighter.  It does have a fairly strong smell, it's not unpleasant at all, it just smells like a "real spa" product if that makes sense?  I'm not a fan of using heavily fragranced products on my face, and I always get a little paranoid when I try a new skincare product, but I'm pleased to say I have had no reaction what so ever.

I'm really glad I tried this toner, and I'd highly recommend anyone to give it a try if you haven't already.  It's also available in a smaller (30ml) bottle  for £3.99 which I'm tempted to pick up for travel.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover.

You may recognise this from my recent Skincare Haul post. I was looking for an alternative to my Clinque 'Take The Day Off' eye make up remover, and after deciding against the No7 one, I went for the Botanics version. All three of these products are of the oil-based variety, where you have to shake the bottle before using, which I really like.  I find they do a better job, and always follow with a cleaner anyway so oily lids after using them doesn't bother me.

I have used the Botanics one in the past and have really liked it, and attracted to the pretty new packaging, I decided to buy it again.  Unfortunately, the packaging isn't all they've changed.  When I got it home I realised that it had more of a pinky hue to it than I remembered the older version having.   It turns out that they have reformulated the product and, sorry Boots, I'm not a fan! For a start, it isn't as effective as removing my eye make up than the older version.  Since I always cleanse afterwards anyway (or use a wipe if I'm lazy!) I could probably put up with this until I've used the product up, and make a mental note not to repurchase.  My main issue with this is that it makes my eyes feel sore and irritated.  They sting as soon as I apply the cotton wool pad to my eye, and also I've noticed my eyes sometimes feeling sore throughout the next day too.  This is the only new product I've used around my eyes too, so I can't see anything else being to blame.  The old formula was so gentle, and never made my eyes feel sore or irritated and I'm disappointed that this new formulation didn't live up to that. I'm gutted really, I didn't use Botanics religiously, but knew it was always there, and I'd often go back to the eye make up remover, as well as other products.  Sorry Botanics, I think our love affair is over. Sob!