This week is all about an exciting new launch. If you are a regular in beauty blogging circles I don't have to introduce you to Caroline Hirons. The third generation beauty guru has been blogging and youtube-ing about skincare for years bringing her fresh, no nonsense, fun approach to the general public, sharing her immense experience in the beauty industry. I've been an avid fan of hers since the beginning and I've learned more from her blog than any other one around. She is simply brilliant at what she does, her passion for everything beauty rubs off on you in an instant. Caroline's work with Pixi Beauty is well known and well documented so needless to say when I heard about their collaboration I wasn't surprised and I got extremely excited. If you've been following her work, again, no surprise her first launch is a cleanser.
Her method of double cleansing is what facialists have been using for a long time. Step 1: use a balm or oil to dissolve makeup, SPF, all dirt, wash it off with warm water and a face cloth. Step 2: go in with a nourishing cream cleanser to make sure the skin is thoroughly clean (if you have the time you can insert a little face massage here) and wash it off with using the cloth again. She's been continuously talking about how important cleansing is since every skin care product performs better on a properly cleansed skin. You don't even doubt for a minute that that's what you should do, Caroline's over 20 years experience in the industry makes you believe in it straight away. Ever since I adopted this routine many years ago I can't even imagine my life without a proper cleanse at the end of the day now.
Caroline's Double Cleanse cleansing duo is the ultimate cleansing experience. You get two formulations in a big tub: a solid balm and a cream cleanser packed full of vitamins, peptides and other beneficial ingredients. It is very handy to have the two in one place, you almost feel obliged to use both and not be lazy about cleansing. The solid balm is a heavy duty makeup/SPF remover that turns into a rich oil upon contact with the skin, the cream cleanser is a nourishing, luxurious second step for a thorough cleanse. Good news for the sensitive/problem skin types, there is no fragrance, no mineral oil, parabens or shea butter in it, they have been replaced with camelia oil and evening primrose oil. The carefully selected ingredients make sure that this beauty works for most skin types, even the oily ones that usually have problems with cream type cleansers. Double Cleanse has a lot of positive qualities that make you want to try it, oh, and it is cruelty-free too! Good stuff!
I've only been using this cleansing duo for a few days, but I instantly feel that this will become a staple in my beauty stash. I love it and I'm already hooked on it. It is very pleasant and easy to use, my skin feels clean, nourished and comfortable after using it like never before. My favourite of the two is the heavy duty the balm cleanser. The solid oil melts makeup within seconds, it takes no effort to remove everything with my cloth.
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| Solid Cleansing Oil |
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| Cleansing Cream |
The only teeny critique I would have is that probably you would use one of the two formulations quicker than the other, so re-purchase might be difficult to time but I will see how I get on with it and how long they last.
What I most love about the Double Cleanse is that there are no gimmicks about it, there's nothing fancy about it, it doesn't promise miracles and doesn't want to be anything else than what it is: a really decent and effective cleanser. You rarely get that in beauty these days.
Double Cleanse is £24.00 at Pixi Beauty UK, not the cheapest in the world, but a little goes a long way and it's absolutely worth it.
In January I need all the help I can get to look a bit fresher than I actually am. I'm constantly on the lookout for skin care that perks up the complexion, highlighters, radiance primers, BB/CC/EE Creams, you name it, whichever suits best. I am a fan of the Bobbi Brown tinted moisturiser that I've been using for years, it is quick and easy, has an SPF35, good stuff. This time, however, I wanted to change and I've found my two favourites already.
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue
This gel cream is skincare and make-up in one. It uses Marine botanicals to hydrate, it gives the skin a healthy glow with a light coverage. It also has SPF30, which is brilliant since I'm using acids and retinols in my skin care, so sun protection for me is a must. My skin is not even and I have the occasional blemish here and there, so I still have to put a touch of foundation in the t-zone area over the Complexion Rescue, just to cover a bit more and I conceal where needed. The overall finished look is light, natural and I love the glow it gives the face.
Here are the facts:
What it does: evens out skin tone, brightens, gives sun protection
Best works on: normal to dry skin
Use: on its own or under foundation, powder if needed
Texture: light gel
Application: fingertips or stippling brush is best
Coverage: light-medium, buildable
Finish: dewy
Packaging: classy - matte gold tube, easy to handle, practical
Price: £27.00, it is on the pricey side.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. The Complexion Rescue is an excellent multi-tasking product, it will definitely will come very handy whenever I'm not wearing big makeup. For those of you on the go and not having time for long make-up routines? This one is for you.
Other: the packaging says it's hypoallergenic. Why do I not care? This is the feature I never pay attention to, no brand can guarantee that people won't have a reaction to the ingredients. All sensitivities are personal, so I usually just ignore that. I'm not really worried about ingredients, but I always suggest a patch test to clients if they are.
Garnier SkinActive BB cream + Blur
Here's a good budget buy, a new release from Garnier and this one will be more suitable for the summer for me, because of its matte finish. Similar to Complexion Rescue, this combines skin care and make-up in one. It contains Vitamin C and Grapefruit extract (great antioxidant) and has light coverage with a matte finish. UV protection is a pre-requisite for me, so the SPF 30 is a huge plus in my book.
Here are the facts:
What it does: evens out skin tone, brightens, gives sun protection
Best works on: normal to oily skin
Use: on its own or under foundation, powder if needed
Texture: light cream
Application: fingertips, stippling brush is best
Coverage: sheer
Finish: satin-matte
Packaging: nice long tube, easy to handle, practical
Price: Great budget buy for £12.99, now £8.66 in Boots, worth a try.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. If you can't be bothered to spending much time with make-up and like to look natural, go for it!
Other: The packaging says it blurs wrinkles, imperfections and pores. I'm always a bit skeptical about big statements like these. It makes your skin look better, let's just stick to that.
Just one more thing, I'd be really happy if Boots stores put testers out of these, Medium seems a tiny bit on the dark side. I can't return it now, because obviously I got chucked out the receipt (so typical by the way) so I'm hoping it will match my summer colour.
Here's a before and afters:
Continuing with my series about The Ordinary, next up is the Advanced Retinoid 2%. I really wanted to give this a good test run to be sure about the effect.
First things first a little trivia. This will get a bit science-y, but bare with me:
Retinoid is not to be mixed up with retinol. Retinoid is a chemical compound that is related to Vitamin A, it helps cell turnover, stimulates collagen, strengthens the deeper layers of the skin and reduces pigmentation. Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, when applied, the skin converts it into retinoic acid that helps with reducing lines, reduces photoageing. These two basically do the same thing,but it may take longer to get results with retinols to because they are essentially weaker and retinol might cause more irritation too.
Which one to get? Retinoids and retinols come in all different shapes and sizes built into serums, moisturisers, peel pads,concentrates, oils in different concentrations. It's all about trial and error, I'm afraid, because everyone's tolerance is different. Once you find what works for you, you get brilliant results.
I've been using the Advanced Retinoid 2% since October as part of my evening routine two-three times a week inserted between my cleansing and my serum step and I have to say, this is a brilliant addition to any anti-aging routine BUT mostly because I know what the effects will be. This is a product where the results are visually less spectacular as you start using it(there's no irritation, no peeling, so you won't see the product physically working straight away), you have to be patient with this and wait for months to see the difference. Retinoid is much more subtle than retinol, the key is consistensy, persistance and months along the line you will see great results. My skin is definitely clearer and less pore-y (I have a tendency to make up words like that, sorry) since I've been using it.
The Advanced Retionid 2% his is really clever skincare and I think all Retin based products are really worth understanding so you can get the best out of them. If you are over 35? Go for it. This one is only £8.00 for 30 ml so even if it turns out to be not your cuppa, you won't lose much money. Just make sure you do a little research before you start using it and read the instructions on the website. (You can find it here)
Don't forget to be very particular about using SPF during the day while on retinoids, just to make sure all the good work you're doing to your skin with retinoid is not ruined. Another thing to remember is, don't overdo it. More is not more, just use a little bit and spread it all over the face, neck and chest. This is not a product for everyday use.
You will find all The Ordinary products on the Victoria's Health wesbite here.
Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you had a good one! Instead of talking about New Year's resolutions -I don't really do them myself - I am going to get straight back into talking about beauty and makeup. Whatever resolution you have made on New Year's Eve I wish you lots of motivation, stamina and discipline to stick to it. Not that I don't have goals to achieve, it's just these decisions to me are not connected to the New Year, I make them when I'm ready and I feel strong enough to achieve them.
After spending the Holiday season with planning strong makeup looks it is time for me to returnt to fresh, natural looks. I remember when I was working at Mac this was the time of the year when we got all the nude collections, with different highlighters and light, subdued, neutral colours. It's the new year, a time for renewal and for a fresh start, it feels only right for me to wear fresh, dewy, natural makeup. I like to come up with different ways to achieve a fresh face, especially that I'm reaching the end of my 30s, it has become more and more of a challenge. Regardless of age though, it is good to master a natural make-up routine that you feel comfortable with.
Okay. Let's get started. There is no makeup without solid foundations, that is, good skincare. I have posted my current morning routine on Instagram recently, and I pretty much use the same things every day.
Oskia is a great cleanser before makeup, it makes your skin feel nourished, silky soft and bouncy. The Buffet serum gives enough hydration for the day and the In Transit mask/primer is perfect before make-up if you feel a bit tired.
For perking up the skin a bit more, a re-addition to my routine and a well-loved product of mine for years is this Make Up For Ever Radiance Primer in Mauve (as far as I remember it used to be called HD primer). This is a touch of magic, after putting it on, everything changes. Light comes back to face and the skin looks overall brighter. This is my secret to cheating a good night's sleep.
Next step: foundation. This is a classic, one of my all time favourites and I keep going back to this. The Vitalumiere Aqua from Chanel is perfect for a natural finish, not too matte, not too dewy. Applied with a sponge or fingers you can create a 'your skin but better' look.
After evening out the skin tone comes colour correcting and concealing. I couldn't live without the Bobbi Brown colour corrector cream. I have really dark areas around my eyes, so that counteracts it perfectly. Light peach is my colour, but they have something for every skin tone (I keep them in a palette as you can see below). My chosen concealer this time is the Make Up For Ever HD concealer, just because it has great coverage and it is nearly undetectable on the skin. Great range of colours available here too.
So base is done, what's next? Eyes. It is all about neutral colours, there are so many good ones available on the market, but I usually reach for either the Mac Paint Pots (like Groundwork, Painterly, Utterly Becoming), eyeshadows (like Omega, Wedge, Charcoal Brown), or my trusty Tom Ford palette in Cocoa Mirage.
Cocoa Mirage has beautiful neutral matte colours that blend beautifully. The key here is 'less is more' and blend, blend, blend until all edges are blurred, so the colours look more like natural shadows than anything else. I used the lightest colour in the palette as a base and shaded the crease with the colour at the bottom left to make my eyes look less hooded.
My next step is eye pencil. This colour is what I use literally every day and couldn't live without: it is the famous Teddy from Mac. It is a beautiful, rich, bronze-brown that I use for tidelining and to make my lash line look more defined.
Curling lashes is a really important stage to open up the eyes. I am usually quite lazy with this, but it makes such a difference, I promised myself to use it more. My current favourite mascara is Inimitable from Chanel. It is well suited for this look because it lengthens, volumises and separates all in one, so you don't have to spend too much time with getting an intense effect. It is quick and easy.
After this I use a concealer pencil from Mac, the Studio Chromagraphic in NC15/NW20 in the waterline to get rid of those red colours that can make you look incredibly tired, and give the brows a nice colour with Benefit Goof Proof pencil in #2. The key is not to go overboard and stay natural.
My next step is my favourite: give the cheeks a glow. Again, I am using my all time favourite products here.
Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge lip and cheek pot in Powder Pink mixed with Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl is a perfect combination to achieve that naturally flushed effect. I apply it with my fingers making sure there are no edges visible. I usually finish it off by patting a bit of Eight Hour Cream over the high points of the cheeks for an extra glow.
The final step is lips. I would probably just finish the whole look off by a tinted lip balm like this Clarins one below, but I've found myself using lipsticks more this year. My chosen one for this look is the gorgeous Spanish Pink from Tom Ford. This is a perfect colour to go for whenever you want to feel comfortable yet sophisticated.
That completes my everyday routine, here is the before and after next to my window with natural light:
I prefer the one on the right :)
I hope you enjoyed it, see you next time!
