Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I am so sorry for the long wait but I just had not bought anything very interesting until today! It has been reviewed at length already but I thought I'd review it too. 

For this post I thought I would show how the cleanser is packaged, rolled up in the muslin cloths inside a zipped bag. I thought I would have to pay more for the muslin cloths but they come free with the cleanser. 

I am curious to try this cleanser and cloth combination as I have heard quite a bit about it. I was actually looking for an exfoliator today but the lady guided me towards this product which both cleanses and gently exfoliates. 

It contains naturally active ingredients: Rosemary, Chamomile, Cocoa Butter and Eucalyptus Essential Oil. It is also alcohol-free so it's perfect for me and my roscaea :)

I will try it tonight and report back tomorrow. 

Coconut Oil #1 Face

I have been reading up and watching videos on the benefits of Coconut Oil for quite a while now and finally purchased it yesterday. 24 degrees celsius is the temperature at which it liquefies (it is a solid below this) which explains why it turns into an easy-to-use oil when rubbed between your fingers. As indicated on the jar, it can be directly applied to the skin.

Last night was my first time to clean my face using coconut oil. This included makeup removal. I dug my clean fingers into the jar (you could use a spoon) and softened it up between my fingers. Using circular motions, I worked it into my face and neck. Some even got in my eye but did not hurt at all. I then washed it all off gently with a face cloth and cool water. My face appeared very clean, soft and moisturised. I checked the effectiveness of coconut oil as a cleanser with a toner. The cotton pads had no residue, makeup or grime; the coconut oil had worked. I really was amazed that my face was so clean after such a quick and easy process. At the same time my face felt very moisturised.

For those of you with redness or rosacea, this is a very kind and calming way to clean your face- 100% natural too. If you are coming to the end of your facewash or cleanser, I highly recommend you to try this. Remember to wash off with cool water as warm/hot water will aggravate your skin.

The jar contains 453g or 16oz. which will last a long time. It is a very versatile product so I will blog about this a few more times, each time outlining a different use.
Stay tuned for Coconut Oil #2 Smoothie

Image Skincare

Hi, I am back with yet more skincare and perhaps my favourite brand yet!! I cannot say enough about the quality of these products. As you know I have rosacea which is quite difficult to manage. I have tried and tested many products but these are right up there in terms of sensitivity, effectiveness and scent ( they smell divine!) 

I was recommended these by a beauty therapist after I was pampered with an Image facial. The facial itself was amazing and really brightened up my skin. I highly recommend them and facials in general; I love going to the spa. It is an absolute treat for me and I go a few times a year. 

Back to Image Skincare - I am currently using their Vital C hydrating anti-aging serum and their Prevention+ daily matte moistuiser (SPF 32). The Vital C soothes the visible effects of environmentally damaged skin. It contains vitamins A, E and highly potent anti-oxidants. It feels so nourishing and brightens up the face. It is a little pricey but absolutely worth it. The moisturiser smells amazing and has such a lovely consistency. It soaks in very well and is very gentle on the sensitive areas of my face. It also contains anti-oxidants. I also feel very protected wearing a factor 32. 

I wanted to buy more of their products but as I mentioned already they are dearer than what I normally go for. 

What's new?! - La Roche-Posay, The Body Shop & dr.organic

I thought I would share a few new products I got lately. I am not going to talk about them in any great detail today as I do not know what they are like yet but if they work for me I will post about them again in a few weeks. 

La Roche-Posay's Rosaliac Micellar Make-up Removal Gel (for Redness Prone Sensitive Skin) - I have used this twice so far and I love it. Definitely a must try. It's unlike anything I have tried before in terms of consistency, application and removal. 

dr.organic's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Day Cream - this brand looks great and I wanted to buy more of their products but I thought I would start with this. This brand is definitely worth a browse. 

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Lotion (SPF 15) & Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - to top up those Vitamin E and moisture levels

Malibu's Lipcare SPF 30 - for these brighter days!

Rosacea, baring all and feeling the burn!

Baring all, almost!! As someone who experiences redness/rosacea, it is a big deal to wear next to no makeup, especially since I have been using it to cover up for so long now. I basically simplified my skincare routine recently and now I feel comfortable enough to only wear the teeny, tiniest amount of foundation in public, hooray!! Admittedly, I am very pale but nothing a bit of fresh air and a good night's sleep won't sort out!

 I dampen the Real Technique's sponge and apply a tiny amount of Estee Lauder's Double Wear (Cool Bone) foundation to cover one little patch of redness I still have. I leave the rest of my face bare and naked. I highly recommend this combination if you are trying to cover any blemishes. 

I thought I would share these beautiful photos of a lovely walk I went on the other day - I definitely felt it the next day in muscles I obviously had not used in a while!!

 Taken at the lovely Slieve Blooms :)

Calming the Skin!!

Recently my skin has been breaking out in areas it does not usually break out, like the forehead and above the lip. It has been going on for most of March. I am still trying to figure out what I am doing differently to cause this. It could be because I was trying and switching a good few products like cleansers, moisturisers and foundations. Or it could be my diet? Or that I don't always wash my face at night? Or hormones? Weather? Or a combination of all the above. It's hard to know for definite!

Anyway today I was dying to get home from work to clean my face, so as to let it breath and be product-free. However, in order to become product-free I needed a product to clean off my make up so I decided on Avene's Gentle Gel Cleanser as I thought it would be the most gentle. I used the facial brush very gently as I have not used it in a week or two! Oh how I love those bristles!!

  

I went about my evening then, product-free but before long my face felt tight and dry and I knew I wouldn't last in that product-free state. So I rummaged through all my moisturisers (as the one I have been using the past week or two could be the cause of my breakout) and went back to the good ol' faithful Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturiser. During the rummage, I rediscovered their Redness Solutions which I had forgotten about. 

I have not had the most consistent skincare routine lately as I have been trying and testing a cleanser here and a moisturiser there. My face does not know what it will be lathered in from one day to the next so I think it's time to be more consistent and simple and minimise the amount of product being applied. This, of course, puts an end to the shopping for a while as I am quite the skincare shopper!

I have been drinking more water than usual lately so I am going to continue to do so, alongside my more consistent skincare routine. 

 What do you do to calm your skin??

A mini Clinique haul!

Happy New Year to all my viewers!! I thought I would share a few things I got in Clinique last month. I was delighted as bonus time had ended but the assistant fortunately let me have the last bag she had put away. Hooray!!

I was keen to try out their Redness Solutions daily relief cream. It is suitable for Rosacea or redness prone skin. I really like its thick and creamy consistency; it is also oil-free. I will be using this a lot more often to see if it really does relieve redness. 

I was also curious to try out their chubby sticks for eyes; I chose the brown colour 'lots o' latte'. They are so easy to use, all you need to do is run it over your lid and blend with your finger. These are perfect if you don't want to spend a lot of time doing eye makeup and you don't need any brushes.

I got the following products as part of bonus time: 

7 day scrub cream: a great exfoliator, leaving your skin soft and smooth

blush, in iced lotus: a very nice, rosy pink

high lengths mascara: I found this disappointing as it doesn't seem to lift the lashes or give length

chubby stick for lips, in plushest pink: this is a bright pink, more suitable for summer

L'Oreal Nude Magique CC Cream - Anti Redness

I came across these CC creams and tested out all three: the anti-fatigue, anti-dullness and anti-redness and I bought the latter. Although I loved the anti-dullness one, I was very curious to see how good the anti-redness would be. 

It is a green cream which transforms into a foundation on application. Not all green creams seem to work for me but this one does the trick!! Although very light, it is buildable and covers redness completely, giving good coverage. You don't even need a moisturiser - very handy if in a hurry! It boasts 5 benefitss: flawless coverage, perfectly even skin texture, fresh dewy glow, 24 hour hydration and SPF 12. I love the packaging too - sleek and shiny.

La Roche Posay Rosaliac - Localised Redness Intensive Serum

This product is a must have for anyone who wants to hide redness. It works really well. It says to apply morning and evening and whatever it is made of, minimises redness considerably. Yesterday I applied this and didn't have to cover the redness further with make-up. It made a huge difference. I highly recommend it as someone who has rosacea. 

It is not green like most anti-redness products, it is peachy coloured, then is clear when rubbed in. It also has a slight scent.

Laying the foundations!!!

Here are 4 liquid foundations which would really suit anyone with redness they wish to cover up. 

I am a big fan of the L'Oreal True Match! I remember when I first read the label I was persuaded immediately. 'Matches Skin Colour and Texture', 'Super Blendable', 'True to Skin Shade' convinced me anyway. I started out with W3 Golden Beige, which was a teeny bit to dark but still I made it work I think, by blending properly. This completely covered any blemishes or redness. Recently, I got the W2 Golden Vanilla which is a good bit paler, maybe too pale, but again I make it work. Actually the paleness of  it works well on the redness. If I was going out at night or had a special occasion I would go for the darker W3. They are so reliable in terms of coverage and there are so many shades, you will definitely find the one for you! It also has SPF 17.

Another favourite from L'Oreal is Infallible. I don't know what shade this is but it is a really nice, sandy shade. It looks very nice on pale skin and has good coverage. It is a little less effective at covering redness. 

Finally Estee Lauder Double Wear. I got this in 1C1 Shell which is way too light for me and makes me look like a ghost but it does have amazing coverage so I need to get it in the right shade! I sometimes use it to cover some blemishes and they vanish completely. 

I posted about Rimmel's Wake Me Up and Bare Minerals in July.

Update - reading and rosacea!!

The last few days I have been giving my skin a break from makeup and it feels lovely. I just apply minimal foundation to one bad blemish and then leave the rest. I am enjoying it for now! I would love to roll out of bed in the morning, splash water on my face and head out into the world but I can't. Due to the rosacea I would feel way too self-conscious to go out and about in public with it exposed. The main reason I wear makeup is to conceal it and I usually do my full face. Now that I am on holidays, I can get away with lightly covering the worst part, leaving the rest of my face as is and going about my day. It's great as now I have practically nothing to wash off at night and I think my skin is more able to breathe.

There are many things in life that are worse and my little blemish is nothing compared to what I could have. I am very lucky. My only issue with it is that it is on my face, which is the part of the body people see the most, and I don't want it to stand out. I would think that is all they are looking at. I'm sure there are many people who can relate to this. 

Anyway!! I finished one of the books I was reading, check out what I thought of it here. 

Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser

Here is the latest cleanser I am using and loving! It is amazing and leaves your face feeling super soft!

What I just got in ... The Body Shop!

I had received a voucher for free eyebrow threading (which is usually €12) and I needed my eyebrows done so in I went yesterday. The voucher included 20% off all products. I thought it would be mean to just walk out after getting my eyebrows done for free so I said I would avail of the 20% discount and this is what I got.

I used this Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser with the facial brush last night and it felt so nice. It actually helped with removing my make-up as the bristles loosen everything. This aloe range is for sensitive skin and is very gentle. I know I have been using Avene but I didn't have a full size gentle cleanser to remove my make-up. 

I needed an exfoliator as I only have a mask so I picked this up from the same range. I have not used it yet but will let you know how it goes next week. 

I didn't have any eye cream and as I am in my 30's I definitely think I should be using one. The sales girl strongly recommended Nutriganics Soothing Eye Cream so I'll use this daily and see if there's a difference in a month. 

I love this brush! I've only used it once but it feels so nice. It says it lightly exfoliates and stimulates circulation, improving skin tone and texture so fingers crossed! I think it looks so cute. Last night I put the cleanser on my face and then started brushing which worked well but today I think I'll apply the cleanser directly onto the brush to see if there's any difference.

After I cleansed I used this toner from the same range. There are only a few ml left in it as I got it about a year ago. I love the cool, minty green colour they use - it definitely suggests its soothing and calming. I highly recommend these for anyone who has any sensitivity.

I also got a free sample of their Coconut Body Butter which smells divine! I actually wanted to taste it! As usual I would love to hear from you :) 

Today's Face - Bare Minerals, Catrice and Benefit

A few months ago I stocked up on Bare Minerals while in Boston. At the time, I tried it once or twice and it just wasn't going on right for me. The other day I said I would try it again and it went on amazingly, giving a very healthy, natural look and completely covering all my blemishes!! Today I woke to a beautiful, sunny sky and went for this healthy look again.

The products I used are: bareMinerals Original Foundation - fairly light

                                      bareMinerals All-Over Face Colour - warmth

                                      bareMinerals Mineral Veil Original

                                      Catrice Blush - Toffee Fairy

                                      Benefit They're real Mascara

Because the fairly light is too light for me I add in some of the face colour warmth. The warmth is very dark so I am careful just to add a little as I want my face to still be the same colour as my neck. I tap a little of each into a lid and swirl my brush around, mixing the two. I then tap off any excess into the lid. With the brush, I work in circular motions, blending and buffing it onto the skin. If I need more coverage I repeat this step. I am amazed at how well it covers redness - my skin looks practically flawless wearing mineral foundation.

Next I tapped a little mineral veil into a lid, swirled the brush around and tapped off the excess. Using the same brush I pressed this into the skin, especially in the t-zone. 

As I thought the mineral veil might affect my blush I put the blush on after it. I knew I would love this shade by Catrice, you only need a little so this little container which was so cheap will last for ages! It gives a very healthy glow. Yesterday I tried and tested Prime and Fine by Catrice - it says it evens out imperfections, which I guess it did to an extent. It minimised the appearance of a few blemishes I have and gave a slightly luminous finish. 

On my lashes I used this new mascara by Benefit which is probably the best mascara I have ever used. I love it. It actually does look like you have false lashes on. 

These are from Next and both have a vanilla scent/flavour. Yum!!

My skincare routine

If you are like me and have redness/rosacea, you may want to see how I clean my face as gently as possible. Lately I have become obsessed with Avene and La Roche-Posay! Read my routine