Oily T Zone? Mix your mud masks and get perfect skin!

It's no secret that I love a good mask.  Being "blessed" with combination skin means I can use one more often than those with normal skin.  In this vein of mask love, I picked up The Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask with another of my £5 off vouchers.  On my first use, I wasn't really impressed with it.

One thick coat and an hour later, it hadn't dried at all.  A thinner coat gave the same result.  The "thermal" heat is activated by water so you have to apply it to wet skin and even then, the heat is gone by the time you've finished applying it to your nose.  It feels like someone has blasted your skin for a second with a hair dryer on the cool setting.  However, it doesn't have the usual "raw mud" smell, it smells like teabags.

Ater using it, I checked the pores on the side of my nose and was super chuffed to see that they were clear.  Pardon the TMI here but my pores have expanded recently and I can see them full of a white substance that just won't budge.  Nothing else I have used has cleared these pores out.  However, it wasn't as good on my forehead as my Origins Clear Improvement mask.

I would never have thought to use two mud masks at the same time until I read the tips on the back of the 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask box.  The tips stated that if you have combination skin, you should use a mask for oily skin on the T Zone and a mask for normal skin on the cheeks and chin so that all your skin concerns are addressed at once.  So I got thinking..why not use the Origins mask on my forehead and the Sanctuary one on my nose?

Since I've started doing that, my skin has not looked better.  My nose pores are behaving themselves after their once a week clearout and my forehead doesn't grease as it used to.

The main difference between both masks is that the Origins one dries very well on the skin whereas the Sanctuary one doesn't dry at all.  Both are easy to remove, the Origins one flakes off with ease whereas the Sanctuary one can be removed with a wet hand.  There's another difference..if you want a mask to just clear the oil but leave you moisturised, choose the Origins mask..if you want your pores to be sucked clean, choose the mask by The Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary one clears my pores and keeps my nose from greasing up.  If you need help with both issues, buy both!

If you have clogged pores that you struggle to clear then I'd seriously suggest buying this as my pores were terrible but it's worked a right charm.

Moral of this story? 
Mud/charcoal masks, like human beings, were not created equal.  One may be good at one thing, another good at something else.  And don't be scared to experiment with your facial skincare!

The Sanctuary's mask comes in at £10.20 and the Origins mask is £17.36.  You can pick them both up from Boots.

Review: Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I have never found the one mud/clay mask that I like.  I used to like Superdrug's own one but after a while that made me itch like mad.  I had the Liz Earle one and that didn't really do anything.  It didn't cause me any adverse reaction but it didn't do me any good, either.

I bought this when I reeling from the pain of John Lewis not having my ice cream maker in stock.

I told the SA's that I wanted a mud mask that dried properly on my skin so that I felt it had some benefit.  They assured me it would.

I asked whether it would peel and they told me it wouldn't, but that it would come off without you having to put more water on.  That is my major gripe with some mud masks, they don't dry properly and you have to put water on the get them off.  They should just flake off with a face brush..

Anyway, I traipsed off home deciding that I would use it in the evening.

I didn't..mainly because X Factor was on and I left my bag downstairs and couldn't be bothered to go back down and get it.

I have used it about 5 times since I've had it and without any bias towards the brand at all, I can wholeheartedly say that this is the mask I wanted.

It dries rock solid..I use it when I'm wearing my lens and it stays on me for about 30 minutes or so.  You can leave it on for less time but 30 minutes works best for me.

The colour changes as it dries so can look in the mirror and know when you can start removing it.  When I remove it, it comes away easily with the aid of a face brush.

This photograph was taken when I'd used it a few times and it still looks pretty full.  I use a thin layer and that works really well.

When it's off, it leaves my skin physically looking radiant and very clean.  I never expected a mask like this would do that.  My skin feels soft and I don't feel the need to use a toner to get rid of any residue as there isn't any.

Some mud masks smell a bit funny but this has no tangible smell to it..I also find that the Superdrug one can be a bit watery..this is not like that. 

It retails for £17.00 and can be bought from here.

Which mud/clay masks do you swear by? Are there any decent High Street ones out there?

Review: A Perfect World for Eyes by Origins

I went to John Lewis a few weeks ago on a mission to buy an ice cream maker, a mission that went horribly wrong as they were out of stock (boo!)

Instead, I picked up some pegs and a clay mask by Origins.  Origins currently have a GWP (gift with purchase) offer on whereby you buy any skincare product and you get three sample sized items for free.  Whilst we are on the GWP issue, I don't understand why most brands make you buy two products before you get the free gifts, that always grinds my gears for some reason because I feel that the SA's always try and push extra products on you because they know women can't resist "free" makeup.

I have been using the mask sporadically (a review is to follow) but one thing I've been using since I obtained the mask is this eye cream: A Perfect World for Eyes.

I am in love with this baby.

This is a very generous sized sample which is obviously a good thing, don't you hate it when people give you samples of products and there's not enough in there for you to use and determine whether or not it will work? This happened to me at LUSH, the guy gave me a sample of the 9-5 cleanser which would make Ebenezer Scrooge look like William H Gates.  Seriously, I wasn't asking for the world, just an amount of cleanser which would actually be able to be used for more than a day.  And I did buy something, I didn't go in there trying to score some free LUSH.

Anyway, back to this eye cream.  It is quite thick compared to all the eye creams I have used in the past (read reviews here, here and here).  I think the thickness might be key in what makes it work faster.  I have never seen results this quickly before.  I use it in the morning and in the evening but I have done that with every other eye cream I've had and none has delivered results this quickly.

It is meant to be a firming eye cream but I feel it goes beyond firming.  My under eye area feels firmer, smoother and I am sure it has lightened the area up too as I find myself using less concealer.  I must point out that I thankfully don't have dark under eye circles like a lot of Indian people have.  The area is a tiiiny bit darker but you can't tell..the only way I found out was by staring at my face in pictures.  I can go without concealer, I only wear it because it peps up the shape of my eye.

The cream is very easy to blend in and doesn't settle into the lines under my eye.  That's another thing actually, I feel that it has made some of the lines appear not as deep as they were before which is always to be welcomed.  One thing I forgot to mention before, you only need to use a tiny bit at a time.  If you use too much, it will blend in nicely but towards the end of the day it will start to peel off and you don't want that.  Just use a tiny (less than pea sized) amount and you're good to go.

I've nearly finished the sample and when I do, I'm going to buy the full sized version of this.

If you want to buy the full sized version or want to buy something else and get a sample, you can check out the range of products online here.

BRILLIANT CUSTOMER SERVICE ALERT: Origins in John Lewis on Oxford Street

I've had some emails recently from readers and followers (how pretentious does that sound?) asking me about the nicer places to shop, i.e. where the products works and the SA's are helpful and not obnoxious.

I'm kicking off the series with one of my all time favourite concessions..

I don't often rave about how brilliant customer service at a certain place was as there are places where I've been where one time the service was ok, the next time it was abysmal and the time after that it was ok again.  However, the ladies who man the Origins concession in John Lewis Oxford Street deserve a special shout out.

I'd say that I am what you call a nuisance buyer..I don't do it intentionally, I just am.  When I'm asked if I want help, I politely decline..the SA wanders off and I find something I like and then have to pluck up the courage to ask for help.  I say "pluck up the courage" as there have been many a time when I've said no, had a proper look through the products and then not been given any help when I've decided what I want to ask.

I've always liked the Origins counter in this John Lewis as they have a sink! This might sound like something minor but when you've been swatching and trying products on your hands, a sink is a Godsend.  Plus, you get to use each product and see the effects of only that product.

I popped down there this Saturday just gone.  I know exactly what I went to John Lewis to buy..clothes pegs.  Sexy, I kow.  The clothes pegs are "underground", you can't even see the Origins concession from the clothes peg section but as you come up the escalator, you're bang into the beauty section.

With my hands full of peggy goodness and an intense yearning for an ice-cream maker (they were out of stock), I headed upstairs.   I always like to have a good old nose at all the skincare stuff they have in the Oxford Street branch as the branch nearest to my place is a bit lacking..

There were a fair few soaps which caught my eye but I decided against them as I still have a lot to use...after a quick swatch session of the Dr Hauschka makeup, I turned into Origins.  The lovely SA (whose name I didn't get but had a really nice shade of reddy hair) let me have a good old nose around and then asked me if I wanted help.  I did my standard "no thank you" response and carried on looking..

Whilst I was looking, another SA appeared on the scene and started talking to the other SA.  Then I came across about five products which piqued my interest and both SA's were brilliant, answered all the questions I had without giving me that "Stupid cow, why can't she read and leave us alone?" look that you get from a lot of concessions..I'm looking at you, Chanel..where I stood for a good 15 minutes wanting to buy three lipsticks whilst all three of the counter staff just giggled amongst themselves.

Anyway, you know sometimes you go to buy something and the SA's just want to take your money without being helpful? They're not like that at Origins.  I picked up a mud mask and a microdermabrasion scrub and (even though I knew) was told the difference between the two.  I told the SA that my current clay mask was a bit crap and that my microdermbrasion scrub was rather brilliant so she advised me to tak the clay mask and leave the scub.  This is the mark of a good SA, countless other ones would have tried to sell me both but the Origins SA actually listened.

So, I found what I wanted and bought it.  I got a little sample set with it and I am going back to buy the larger version of the products from the sample set.  I had a long discussion with the SA about how cold it was outside (that's what you get for wearing a thin shirt and jumper combo) and the best products for dry skin in winter.  She suggested the Ginger range which I have had before..and was forbidden from buying again as it smelt too pungent.  I'm going to buy it twofold this Xmas as I can live with the smell so Simon can go do one.

This is what a SA should do.  Ask if you want help, leave you alone when you ask but then be helpful when you ask questions and not just sell you anything without explaining what products do.  I've been to this counter time and time again and I have always had a fantastic experience.