Stepping over to the dark side!

You know how there is always that one shop in the shopping center that catches your attention when ever you get within a few steps but you never go in? Well that was me with Lush. I used to wander past sticking my nose as close to the door as possible because the smell in there is incredible. For some reason I very rarely went in and when ever I did make it past the entrance I stuck to just the Bath Bombs.

That changed a few weeks ago. I did a post on it here. I was wandering past in my own little world when I went in to pick up shaving crème for H2B to take on a stag do. Whilst there I picked up the Lip Scrub and the Lush bug bit.
It's almost becoming a obsession, and for some reason every blog I read it brimming with posts raving about Lush. Well I couldn't take it any more and decided to bite the bullet however small... baby steps right?
So I bought a honey bath bomb which was amazing, and this

Scary looking eh?


I asked the S A for some help choosing skincare. I said that my skin was not sensitive  but oily so she advised this amongst others.
According to Lush  Dark Angels is the alternative to Angels on bare skin for peeps with oilier skins.
9 out of the 10 ingredients are natural which = Good for skin.

I have not taken a picture of this in use because to be honest it is quite messy. You take a little crumbled bit in your hands add a little water and turn into a paste.  I like this process and the mess though, it makes cleansing less humdrum.
It really deep cleanses and scrubs your skin, my skin is like a babies bum!
I rinse the stuff off then rub my skin with a cloth to get every scrap off.

For some reason to me this smells like liquorish. There is non in the cleanser but I think the Sandalwood oil and black sugar makes the scent. I don't normally like the smell but it actually makes you feel even cleaner.

It is £5.95 for 100g and I think this will last for ages. 
I am definitely going to keep this in the bathroom. Now if you excuse me I am going to get my Lush on in the online shop :-)

Bought with my own pennies, Glad I did
Get yours in store or here Lush!

Melt away the day with Elemis

Elemis have recently launched a new cleanser called Melting cleansing Gel.
It's like nothing that I have ever used before. I used to like to use nothing but foaming washes as felt these were the only things that got my skin clean. I have since retrained my mind and fell in love with cream cleansers such as Liz Earle's cleanse and polish and of course Pro-radiance but this was a whole new duel phase texture to get my head around.
The first thing that you notice is the smell, to me it smells like chocolate orange not too strong but definitely there. I like the smell, there may be some that don't but the results that you get will out weigh it if you don't
The gel comes out the tube as a silky ,cloudy gel. You massage it on your face whilst your face is dry. Now this is the first step that took me a little bit of time to get used to. It feels like hard work at first but if you keep massaging it round the gel almost becomes the texture of oil. You can use this texture to give your face a great massage and get some drainage working.
I preferred to give a quick massage with wet fingers and this turned the 'oil' to a milk, the more water added the more milky the cleanser got.

Once rinsed my face felt really clean but soft. I found the cleanser best to use at night and even better when I had been wearing make up. It really gets rid of all traces of make up with out having to scrub, This was excellent in the early hours of New years day lol  I allowed my self a night off from the strong painkillers and substituted them with rum and coke so after a while my back pain was gone but it also meant any sort of face regime became slightly tougher lol The gel did the job and removed all foundation and blusher. If you have eye make up on though remove with separate eye make-up remover as the melting Gel is not for use on the eye area.

At the point of writing this post the Melting cleanser gel is not available other than on QVC in kits , the good news is it is available from Febuary 2011 RRP £19.50

View this and all Elemis products atwww.timetospa.co.uk

A-list skin

Do you get Celebrity skin when you use 'cult' skincare? I was soon to find out when I was given the chance to try Rodial Glamtox Cleanser.
In quite a lot of magazine features, when asked what skincare secret an actress or singer has I have often read the reply that this cleanser is the bee's knees. At £48 a throw I expected some pretty hefty results.
After trying it in the morning and the evening I felt it suited my skin as part of my night time routine as the product is quite rich and I personally felt more benefit overnight.
It is a balm cleanser so don't expect a foam or any shift in texture as it hits the skin. The texture does however allow you major massage time so if your New year resolution is to take more time with your skin this balm is a good place to start.
It is a great cleanser if you have skin that cries out for moisture and finds cleansers that need water very stripping.
I found that the balm is fantastic for removing make up and it gets pores clean and fresh. I remove the balm with cleansing mitts but if you use Muslin cloths or indeed flannels these would be just fine too
I have seen some results with this cleanser, so far my skin looks clearer come morning and I do not seem to use as much moisturiser than usual. I did feel a bit posh using this and my bathroom certainly looks the part with the silver bottle adorning my sink.
For oily skin I would not really reach for this cleanser first as you won't get the full benefits this technology filled golden balm has to offer.
Girls out there who have dry, parched and/or aging skin this balm would be perfect for you!

If you have age spots or pigmentation problems and you like cult brands this is worth a look.



I will continue using this cleanser and become a part of it's cult following.

Find yours at www.Rodial.co.uk


Sam

Bottom of the Jar!

I thought that I would start writing updates on how I am getting on with stuff that I review on here.
We all have cupboards filled with lotions and potions that we have bought, used half of and then went on to the next thing that has caught our eye...if you don't do this than more power to you but I am notoriously bad for it!
There is a rare occasion however that I buy a product , love it and then buy it again. Yes I may not stay faithful to it but I will always dip back into it time to time.

So I am going to try and keep on top of these ' bottom of the jar updates' for the sake of blogging and space too :-)

Today I ran out of my Elemis Pro Radiance cream cleanser... sigh. I didn't think the day was going to come but alas it crept up on me like a Westlife Christmas song!
I have been using this cream cleanser religiously since I first got it along with the mitt.
To be totally honest I am still suffering from spots, I would even go as far to say Acne, but even so with this cleanser my skin does not get angry,red and irritated after I have used it. The rest of my face is clearer too. Whilst using it I have also found that I need to ex-foliate less. The mitt makes you feel like you have given your skin such a good cleanse that I don't feel the need and my skin is looking better for it.

I would recommend keeping it out of the way of the men as it seems too much of a temptation for them.
Better still if you manage to get your mitts(sorry) on a double set let him have one. Less ingrown hairs and a smoother face to snuggle...if you are in to that sort of thing.

Would I buy again?  Without a shadow of a doubt!
Unfortunately I am going to have to wait until after Christmas unless any of Santa's helpers are reading this.
Until then hmmmm


Pro Radiance cleanser is available within Christmas gift sets(hint...hint)
or @  www.qvcuk.com



image credited to sas Lockey

Elemis Cleanser and toner duo

Hi Everyone! as promised I am back with another delicious dip into Elemis.
Yesterday I was looking at the Pro-radiance cleanser which is excellent, today I am concentrating on a lotion cleanser and a toner.
My skin is on the oily side so I have been using the Lime Blossom cleanser along with the Lavender Toner.
 This cleanser is perfect for people who like to clean their face with cotton wool rather than bending over the sink.It can be used in the morning or at night.
This lotion smells divine and whilst massaging it on I can just feeling it doing my skin good in a nice and gentle way. Where you might feel like using the harshest products out there when you have oily skin it actually does more harm than good, this cleanser has just the right balance, which is why it is called balancing cleanser I guess lol .You can feel it cleaning your skin and you can see the dirt on your cotton pad but your skin does not feel like it is screaming out for help when you are finished.
I am not going to go on about how nice this cleanser smells because to be honest it is a given! lol
It has extracts of Lime Blossom in it so unlike a lot of brands that just smell of something this does not just smell of it but it is an active ingredient, it is there to help calm the skin down and so it can repair it's self when suffering from breakouts.
BTW there is nothing wrong with splashing your face with water after removing this cleanser if you feel the need which I do on hot days.

If you have never used a toner before after cleansing this is the time to start. It is an important step when cleansing, the old school reason used to be that it closes the pores after cleansing but toners would be way to harsh if that were the case. The good reason for using them is that they remove every last bit of cleanser/face wash from your skin and allow your moisturiser to work to it's full potential, so as you can see they are really important.
So to accompany my Lime Blossom cleanser I moved on to the Balancing Lavender toner. Elemis use high Alpine Lavender to maintain the skins natural PH balance and help clarify the skin without the use of harsh skin stripping chemicals.
You can either spray this toner directly on your face and wipe off with a cotton pad or spray on the pad and wipe. I also use it as a spritz when the weather is hot just to rehydrate the skin with a light mist and the Lavender is calming which always is a bonus.

In the range there are cleansers and toner duos for the following skin types

• Rehydrating rose petal cleanser/ Ginseng Toner for normal to dry
• Soothing chamomile cleanser/Soothing Apricot toner for sensitive
• and of course Balancing Lime Blossom cleanser/Balancing Lavender toner for normal to oily

They are available @

www.timetospa.co.uk

www.elemis.com

Price Varies 

A Beauty routine for under a tenner! Can we do it?

Hi Everyone,
Being off work with a back injury at the moment has given me the time to do what I like to do the most, look at beauty products!
Now we all know that there are products out there that we yearn for and as we add them to our list to be checked off at Christmas or for birthdays etc we need a routine that does the job, does not cost the earth and is a pleasure to use.
I then thought to pass the time and hopefully help people out, that I would go on the hunt for a full routine so cleanser, toner and moisturiser for a tenner or even under if possible.

Now I would recommend that you spend the most money from your budget on your cleanser and moisturiser. These two are the products that you will want the most from and to work for the money. A toner is just a refresher and is there to make sure all the cleanser is gone so you don't really need a all singing dancing one.

Cleanser
Garnier Pure 3 in 1 wash and scrub - £3.33
This is a great product as it is 3 in 1. You get a cleanser, scrub and mask for your money. It deep cleanses and gently scrubs dead skin cells away so any old spot scars will slowly fade. You can also rely on it to matify the skin.

Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash - £2.99
This would be my choice if you were looking for a uber gentle face wash to refresh and clean the skin.
If you have sensitive skin you cannot go wrong with Simple. They are known for having a no fragrance or colour in their range. This cleanser includes Pro vitamin B5 to nourish and soften the skin and Vitamin E to moisturise whilst cleansing. You can also use it safely over the eyes to remove eye make up.
This cleanser would suit most skin types, it is gentle so would not cause more oiliness on the combo skin and moisturising so people with dryer/ageing skin could benefit too.
If you cannot use a wash as you have the MOST sensitive skin I would recommend a milk cleanser. As long as you double cleanse at night the same as with washes this will work great.

Garnier Clean and Fresh Cleansing Milk - £3.19
You can tissue this off or splash off with water. You can use it on the eyes and it leaves the skin fresh and feeling clean. It had vitamins in it to make sure your skin does not become like a desert.

Toner
This is the area that you don't have to spend that much money. All you want is to be able to make sure all your cleanser is removed and your face is ready for the moisturiser.
There are two options I would recommend , a all rounder and one for they dryer skins.

All Rounder
Boots Essentials Cucumber Facial Toner - £1.49
A great refresher for the skin. Smells great and feels cool on the skin. Gentle enough that it won't strip the skin but does the job.

Sensitive
Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Facial Toner - £1.49
Fragrance free and Hypo-allergenic. Suitable for sensitive and ageing skins.
Refreshes the skin gently for the next step.

Moisturiser
This is the product that you trust to keep the skin soft, supple and ready for your make up.

Nivea Visage Rich Rich Moisturising day cream - £4.99
This cream is for the dry and parched sensitive skin. Your skin will drink this up and become less tight and return to a natural balanced state.
It is enriched with precious lipids – Almond & Calendula Oil and even has UVA and UVB filters so helps to stop sun damage.

Olay Classic Care Beauty Fluid - £3.99
A great classic. Will keep the skin supple and moisturised whilst making a great base for make up. Ticks all the boxes.

Nivea Visage Oli Free Moisturising Fluid - £3.99
A great light lotion for the more oily skins. This will absorb oil leaving skin nice and matt throughout the day. Has UVA and UVB filters to protect the skin from sun damage.What more could you ask for?


Well guys I think we did it!!! A complete set for a Tenner or under. Let me know if there are any finds out there that you trust day in and day out

See Ya xxx

(All prices and info can be found at www.Boots.com)