When is a serum not a serum?

When it's touted as being both an anti ageing serum and mask.  I'm talking about Purity Organic Skincare's Anti Aging Serum and Mask.  On the subject of anti ageing, how do you spell that word? At school we were taught that if adding an 'ing', take off the 'e'.  Anti ageing seems to be the one lamb that escaped that slaughter.  So what's proper? Ageing or Aging?
 
I have issues with that fact that this product is descibed as being a two in one.  Serums and masks are two totally different things, they're not the first choice of partner I'd think of if I was marrying up facial skincare.  I'd do a moisturiser and eye cream in one.  Serums are meant to be used with a light hand whereas you can really pile a mask on so there's my second problem.  How much of this are you meant to apply it?

The consistency also irks me.  It feels like a watered down face cream.  All the serums and moisturising masks that I've stuck my fingers into have a bit more substance.  This seems wimpy in comparison.

Each time I've used it, I've varied how much I put on.  It doesn't sink in at all.  It forms into a peel off mask and I have to use water to remove the mask and it doesn't add anything to my skin at all.  Adding the water just seems to wash the mask off so I'm not sure how it's meant to make you look younger in 10 minutes?  The instructions suggest leaving it on overnight but with how it makes my face tight, I'm itching it take it off after 15 minutes.  It also fails as as serum, deciding to just linger on the skin and not sinking in as a serum should.

The disrespect it shows for my skin is unparalleled.  Nothing I have ever used has been as bad for my skin as this.  It gives me annoying spots..not the kind that fade within a few days, they're horrible hard things that last ages.  It also gave me a horrible dry patch on my face which was nigh on impossible to get rid of.

It's a shame this was so bad as my previous experiences with the range have been very good, I loved the moisturiser, face wash, exfoliator and cleanser..

I'm on the lookout for a decent moisturising and anti-ageing/aging mask on a budget so if you know of any, let it all out in the comments, thanks!

From Russia with love

I have always wanted to go to Russia, I've seen it on countless TV programmes but I truly fell in love with it when I saw it on one of Anthony Bourdain's shows.  It was the furry hats and the thick snow that drew me in.

I'm not ashamed to say that I let out a squeal of delight when I was told I'd be going.  I got an email the other day from someone who was going on holiday to Moscow and they asked which products helped me keep my skin in decent condition whilst I was there.

Here's what I took..

1. Aveeno Skin Moisturising Lotion.  I have reviewed this before (click here).  My skin is drier than the Sahara as it is so I was applying this like it was going out of fashion in Moscow.  It kept my properly hydrated and for that I am very grateful.
2. Purity Organic Skincare Facial Moisturiser.  I am really loving this brand, I raved about their cleansing makeup remover and I have just as much love for this face cream.  It manages to hydrate my skin (which was going through a horrible dry, flaky patch before I started using this) without making me greasy.  The only issue I first had with it is that it feels a bit too solid and you have to work it into your hands and then into your skin but I have found that the massaging part helps really sink the cream in.  I used more of this in Moscow than I would in England and it did a brilliant job of keeping me moisturised without turning me greasy which is no mean feat.
3. Jessica Nails Nourish Cuticle Formula.  I have reviewed this before and of all the cuticle smooth makers (we're hot on technical terms around these parts) this is the best one I have ever used.  I was using this every morning and every night whilst in Moscow.  It also helped keep the finger tips moisturised and it healed up a cut I had on my thumb in record speed.  This is seen as a product you think you don't really need but once you start using it, you do wonder why you didn't start earlier.
4. Carmex Lip Balm.  I love this.  I've mentioned this before.  I forgot to use it on the first day and my lips were crying out for it come the evening.  I applied copious amounts of this and it never failed to work.
5. Aveeno Hand Cream.  You will see that I took two hand creams out with me, this is because I rely too much on it.  This moisturises my hands like no other so it was the first thing I put in my skincare bag.
6. Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate.  I love this for many reasons.  Firstly, it works.  It looks like a mixture between oil and water (ha!) and I find it is a very indulgent product.  This is the kind of product that I can imagine someone with a dressing table having.  The kind of person who has time to sit down at the end of a day/start of a day and look into a massive mirror whilst savouring the products they are using.  I do not have time for this..and even if I did..I don't have a dressing table (boo!) The directions say to warm it up in your hands but I find it warms itself up once it touches skin.  In England, I just used on my face and was done with it but in Moscow I decided to rub it on the decolletage because touching that part of your body is quite comforting when you're freezing *ahem*.  It doesn't leave behind a greasy film and just gets to work overnight.  My skin always looks better in the morning for having used it.  I can see it lasting me ages as one pump is all I need (double entendre FTW).
7. Anatomicals Help the Paw.  I love love love using this whilst in London as it gives me the perfect amount of moisture. My hands also really dry out when I'm on the aeroplane and this cream is the perfect consistency to moisturise but also not leave my hands so greasy that I can't hold a glass/fork/knife.

Now, about Russia.  I still love it.  If you've seen it on TV and it looks magical..just wait til you get there.  I went to Moscow and I have fallen in love with it.  I went to Prague earlier this year and announced that it had stolen my heart..it is now my bit on the side, Moscow is my love.  Me being the idiot I am wanted to know how cold -25 °C actually was so I decided to go out in the dead of night.  It was freezing..well, about 25 degrees MORE than freezing.  We did the old "take out a glass of water and see how quickly it freezes" experiment.  It was about 2 seconds before we saw little icy bits forming.

The perfect eye makeup remover for sensitive eyes

It's well known around these parts that I am against liquid eye makeup removers.  This is from bitter past experience where liquid ones have stung me silly or given me fuzzy vision.

Such was my dislike of them that I wouldn't even buy the infamous Botanics remover.

Then along came Purity Organic Skincare with the Conditioning Cleansing Lotion.  Their whole premis is clear in their name, they do pure, organic skincare.  This is something I never really paid much attention to in the past, if something worked, it worked..regardless of the chemicals it had it now but now, I'm rethinking this as it may have advserse effects that only materialise in the future.

I was planning on giving it to a cousin when I discovered that my beloved eye makeup remover pads contained the evil that is mineral oil.  You can see the bind I was in..I'd be damned if I'd use a liquidy remover and I'd be damned if I used mineral oils.  I bit the bullet and chucked the pads away.

The instructions advise being liberal with it but me having been scarred before started small and got bigger and bolder.  I was very apprehensive about using this so initially I put it around the outer edges of the eyes (the lids and the brow) and then I moved in nearer to the actual eye.

Did it sting? No.  Did I feel uncomfortable? No.  I added enough to take my makeup off and then some, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.  I kept it on for ages.  I removed my makeup in the shower (I wanted to give it a thorough testing as I do with all things I call HG).  No adverse reaction at all.  AT ALL. 

I can't stress how brilliant this is for sensitive eyes, I've used it time and time again in the same way and each time it's been as gentle as a gentle thing.  I am so glad that this is another HG item I can tick off the list.  I used to think that if the area near my eyes was oily, it would help moisturise them, this however, manages to moisturise my eyes more, has no nasties in it and doesn't leave them feeling greasy.

It's budget friendly too, retailing at £4.99, you can buy it from Superdrug.