Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir: The stuff dreams are made of!

Before I get on with the post, someone out there better appreciate the pun in the title or else..I'll cry.

I think this might well be my product of 2011.  Although I get excited about many products, I retain a special level of near hysterical excitement for the best of the best.  You have to pass stringent testing to get me this excited.

Why do I love it so much?  Because it actually does what it says...and well!

Olay state the Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir "accelerates skin's natural surface renewal during sleep..improves hydration to leave skin feeling softer, smoother and firmer looking".

I've used products that promise the same in the past and all they've done is made my skin feel sticky and not much more.

I put the Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir on and went to bed..woke up and did the checks and my skin did feel a lot softer and smoother.  It looked firmer and more plumped up than it normally does.  But this was only day 1 so I told myself not to get too excited.

Consistency wise, it's a clear gel which feels slightly tacky.  I did need to shake it when using it as sometimes it bubbled before the actual product came out.

I thought my success might be a fluke and now, some two weeks later, my skin is still looking fantastic.

I had some hard bumps on my skin that just wouldn't shift but since I've started using this, they've either vanished or formed into proper spots and then buggered off.  I know that this is down to the Elixir because nothing else shifted them.

I'm using less moisturiser as my skin seems hydrated enough as it is.  I also find myself not needing to powder my nose as the hydration levels are at a good enough level so that my skin doesn't produce too much sebum.

As this is a sample, the product on shelves will actually look like the bottle pictured here on the left. 

I put the tiniest blobs on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin.  I stroke it around my face (avoiding the eyes) and it sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling sticky.  Talking of nose, I didn't realise this until about day 10 but it has really made a difference to my pores.  My nose pores are my lifelong bugbear and this has really helped either shrink or disguise them.

The only thing I'm a bit confused about is what this product actually is.  It's called an elixir which is fair enough but is it a night cream? A serum? A peel?  I'm more inclined to think it's a peel because it has the trademark peel qualities (see through, a bit sticky, suggestion that you whack up the SPF in the morning).  However, I've always been told that peels are meant to tingle and this doesn't tingle at all which is good because facial tingles make me feel uncomfortable.

Now for the warning part..this product contains AHAs which are alpha hydroxy acids.  Don't freak out at the fact that they are acids.  These are used in a lot of cosmetics items.  I had a feeling it contained AHAs as I've used AHA based products before and my skin has felt the same, although I've never had the same results.

When you use products containing AHA, your skin becomes slightly more sensitive to light so it is highly recommended that you wear a moisturiser with SPF in it, both in the morning and for a week after you finish using this.

I got my sample from Supersavvyme, you can click to see if they're still available.

I am definitely picking up the full sized version when I eek the dregs out of this sample.  You might wonder how I got 15 days wear out of this, well, my original sample lasted me 8 days and then I nicked the one my mum had ordered herself too!

I have made a conscious effort every day this week to wake up earlier so I have time to trawl the aisles of Boots in the hope that I will find this product but I haven't seen it on the shelves.  I've ordered it online from Boots so it should be with me shortly.  They're on 3 for 2 at the moment so I've added one for my mum by way of compensation for stealing her sample and I've finally taken the plunge and ordered that Botanics eye makeup remover.

Review: Fade Out Protecting Day Cream SPF15

There has always been something "good" about being light skinned in the Asian/black community.  All the Indian and black people know what I mean.  I remember being in my first year of uni and looking at a black hair magazine that had a feature about women who had bleached their skin and burnt themselves.  It was horrible.  I also remember being younger (about seven or eight) and being told that my skin was too dark.  

I was made to use that disgusting Vicco Turmeric cream which is something that not many non-desi people know about.

Vicco Turmeric is hell encased in an orange and yellow tube.  It's a yellow cream that contains a high level of turmeric (hence the name) and you're meant to use it on your face so as to lighten your skin colour.  Of course, it's not sold like that, it's sold as an ointment you can put on burns and the like.

It bloody stank so there was no way I was going to wear it to school so I'd have to wear a Vicco mask for about 40 minutes every Friday night...which is a very rock n roll way to spend your Friday nights, I've heard that Mick Jagger did the same throughout the 70's.

It never made my skin any lighter.  Many years later, I woke up and my skin was just lighter.

Anyway..

My current night cream: The Body Shop Carrot Moisture Cream

My previous night cream (mentioned here) finished long ago and after buying two full sized products I decided to buy something else. 

During one of my many conversations with my grandmother, I mentioned that I needed a new cream and she told me that the only cream she has ever used on her skin is a gajar cream.  Gajar being the Punjabi word for carrot.  This was all I needed to hear..her skin is fantastic so I take up all her skincare tips.  She told me this one week and the next week The Body Shop had their 30% off dealy going on so I decided to test out their Carrot Cream.

I've never ever found a nightcream which works properly for me.  Thus, I've started finding day creams sans SPF to use at night.  The Clarins one was like that and this is exactly the same.  It's a day cream for people with dry skin.

This cream smells gorgeous..it reminds me of gajar halwa.  It's a light orange/apricot colour and it applies and sinks in very well.  You know sometimes you get a cream for dry skin and it feels very oily and cloying on the hands? This doesn't..it feels thick..but not overly so and you don't get any sticky residue left on your hands once you've applied it.  

Being combination skinned, I find it hard to find a night cream that hydrates the cheeks but keeps the T Zone from greasing up.  This cream managed to do not only this but to also make my skin feel softer and more plumped out.  I can even go a bit mad with it and apply lots to my T Zone without it greasing up and giving me whiteheads overnight.

It comes in at £4.00 and you can buy it from The Body Shop website and in store.

SKIN.ERGETIC from Biotherm

SKIN.ERGETIC is a new line launched by Biotherm which consists of a serum, day moisturiser and night moisturiser.  Its main aim is to help all of us who live hectic lives..lives which don't leave us enough time to fart (of course, us being ladies don't fart anyway..) get good skin.

The products help combat the tell tale signs of fatigue which manifest themselves on our faces in the shape of "crap skin", you all know what I mean..it looks dull, the pores are not behaving and you've got flakey bits.

Obviously not to scale, the serum is larger than the moisturiser..

The serum contains broccoli extract, apple cells, soy extract and AHAs from lemons and sugar cane.  The unlikely mix helps shield your skin against the nasties that attack it on a daily basis.  It also claims to exfoliate the skin, prepping it for cell turnover..

The day moisturiser is a fruity number containing extracts from tomatoes, grapes, pomegranates and Seville oranges which are anti oxidants that add a further barrier to entry for the nasties.

The night moisturiser contains tea and ruscus (a green trea from the same family as (real) Christmas trees) extracts.  It also contains extracts from Buckwheat wax.  Both together eliminate free radicals and soothe the skin.

The serum will set you back £30, the moisturisers are £30 each.  You can pick them up from Boots..  I've got the serum and the night moisturiser so I'll be reviewing them both in good time.  The promise of exfoliation looks quite promising, I just hope it's not a gimmick..

A Surprisingly Brilliant Night Cream

I think I have finally found the perfect night cream for my mush.

It came as a total surprise to me because this cream is one I would never ever have bought myself as it is aimed at dry skin whereas the skin on my face is normal on the cheeks but oily on the forehead and nose.

I usually remove my makeup, wash my face, use some toner and then use a moisturiser.  If I don't tone, I don't moisturise.

I have been toning and using this cream for two weeks now.  It is a fairly rich and thick cream which once massaged in, makes my skin feel nicely moisturised and "normal".  Despite the fact that it is quite rich and thick,  it never makes me feel greasy and I don't wake up with whiteheads and a greasy face in the morning.  It makes my skin feel plumped up and pretty smooth.

The one negative thing I have to report is the smell, it smells like a cream my grandmother used to use..with a slightly citrusy scent.

So, what is this mystery cream?

Clarins HydraQuench Cream!

If you have combination skin and find your skin a bit tight after toning, this might be the one for you.

My Summer Face Essentials

It's hot..hotter than we are used to in England.

I have normal/combo skin which means that heat and me don't mix.

This is what I'm using to keep my skin from looking a hot greasy mess and it's working brilliantly.

Surprised that you don't see a primer? So was I.

I used a primer when I went to the Body Shop bloggers event and it really highlighted dry patches that I didn't know I had.  Since that day, I've just been using my foundation alone and it's served me well.

The toner is one of my saving graces, I just whack it on..wait for it dry, put my moisturiser on, let it sink in and then apply my foundation.  It stays put all day, doesn't apply in a streaky manner and gives me a dewy finish without making me greasy.  The eye roll on is there simply to provide extra moisture as the air conditioning at work has a habit of drying my eyes out.

Olay Olay..Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

We've had a bout of pretty decent weather recently and I realised that my current moisturiser didn't contain SPF so armed with my purse, me and my brother headed for Tescos.

Funnily enough, he wasn't too into looking at "girly shit" so he busied himself picking up ice creams and then knocking me over with the trolley..

I really wasn't sure what to pick up and as the Tescos was a small one, this was the best it offered:

I've heard a lot about the Olay fluids (as filthy as that sounds) so I decided to give the SPF one a whirl.  I usually find that SPF moisturises tend to make combo skin more oily than it needs to be.

I was pretty impressed that Olay do fluids for all skincare types.  The bottle looks massive here but don't be fooled, it's quite diddly compared to how big the packaging is.

I really like it, the smell reminds me of old school Ulay products (I swear it used to be called Oil of Ulay..I was right! I knew it!) and it doesn't make me greasy at all.  It sinks in nicely and I feel adequately moisturised.

I got it for about £4 from Tescos and my brother bough Feasts, Cornettos and Fabs.

Review: Boots Skin Clear Oil Free Mattifying Lotion

You know when you buy a product and think "I hope this one is the answer to my prayers"?

That's what I was hoping for when I bought this.

I've used a lot of High Street moisturisers which say they are oil free and will keep you looking matte but most of them fall at the time hurdle.

I used Nivea's Oil Free moisturiser and the Boots Complete Care moisturiser (which was silently discontinued).  They both worked well at first but then gradually let me down..

I've never seen the Skin Clear range in my Boots before..I'm not sure if this Boots is a bit late off the starting block because I've heard that people have been using certain Boots ranges for ages and I've never seen them before until about three weeks ago. 

What do Boots Skin Clear say?
"Boots Skin Clear Oil Free Mattifying Lotion is formulated by Boots Skincare Experts to absorb excess oil. Instant perfect matte finish to your face. Non-greasy formula." 

What do I say?
The problem I have with most of these mattifying creams is that they make my skin matte but only for a few hours..and then the grease comes out in force...my face becoming oilier than it would be had I put nothing on.  Then within a few days time, I've got matte skin for the morning, oily skin in the afternoons and dry skin for the evenings.  Another thing I noticed was that I had to exfoliate a lot more as my skin was a lot more flaky.  Thus, I wanted something that would keep me matte but not make me have to exfoliate more than I currently do.

I've been using this lotion for a while now and it mattifies my skin for ages.  I normally put it on at about half six in the morning and my skin is still matte by 9/10 p.m.  There is a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle oil coming through but it's really negligible and when I look at my face in the mirror, it's not shining like a beacon.  I've been wearing it this past week when it's been super warm outside and the Tube has been even warmer and it's kept my face in check.  I usually get off the Tube, do a sneaky dash to the toilets in Canary Wharf station and put some Rimmel Stay Matte powder on.  I don't need to do this anymore!

I had a really hard exam the other day (that I wouldn't shut up about on Twitter) and I had to run all the way from the train station to the building and I was sure I'd be super greasy but my skin was matte to the touch.

It does everything it says it does and it smells quite nice too..the formula is non greasy because usually my fingers feel a bit tacky after putting moisturiser on but they're totally untacky when I've used this. 

Repurchase?
Too right! The whole range is currently on offer in Boots (2 for £5) and I'm going to pick up more moisturiser.   I can't stress how good this moisturiser is, it does exactly what I would want my moisturiser to do.  If you have oily/greasy skin then pick it up..I swear it will work a charm!

Review: Tesco Vitamin E range

Remember this post?

I think I've been using the range long enough to give a decent review, so here we go.

Just a heads up, this review is LONG. You know how long a review for one product usually is so this is about six products in one.

The one point I can make about all the products is the smell.  There is a tangy (yeah, tangy) smell from all the products, it's not offensive and smells quite light.

The cleanser.

I haven't used a cleanser for quite some time and I can't think why.  Actually, I can.  I don't subscribe to the whole "cleanse, tone, moisturise" malarky.  If your skin is behaving itself and you haven't cleansed and toned, then leave it be.  My skin was behaving so I didn't cleanse..despite having about 5 cleansers that I could have used.

The directions for use are standard, put the cleanser on with your fingers, wait a few mins and take it off with a cotton wool pad.

I can tell if a cleanser has worked if my skin feels softer and looks cleaner.  Did my skin look cleaner? Yes.  Did it feel softer? Yes.

I didn't have to use much either.

Purchase?
I'm personally on a no-buy but I would buy this when I've used up all my cleansers.  It cleanses and doesn't leave me really tight skin afterwards. 

The toner.

I've always had problems with toner.  If you get a gentle one, it might not clean the skin and the harsher ones strip your skin of all oil and make you even greasier so it's a hard balance to strike.

I liked the toner, it cleaned, didn't sting or have a horrible smell (you know that smell that some toners have).  However, I had a patch of dry skin show up on the right hand side of my mouth/right cheek but I think that's to be expected with a toner.  Plus, I moisturised afterwards and all was good.

I've used this when my skin was really greasy and when it was behaving and it worked well both times.  It makes your skin feel really nice and soft.

I do have one semi negative point to report, it's a very gentle toner.  I don't know how best to elucidate this point but I will try.  It's very gentle so if you have really oily skin then you may have to use a fair bit.  I've been using this since Maskgate and it's brought my skin back up to its normal type.  Can you believe I still felt the after effects of that incident more than a week after it happened?

Purchase?
I'm quite impressed with how well it worked and for the price, I'd deffo buy it.

The liquid eye makeup remover.

I don't like liquid eye makeup removers because they tend to sting me so I stay clear.  I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it...all in the name of science and all that!

If you use just mascara and a neutral shadow, it works well.  However, if you wear a heavier eye then you need to use a fair amount of the product to get it all off.  I wore two shadows from my Sleek palette and the remover struggled.

Purchase?
I wouldn't buy this because I really don't like liquid removers.  It's great if you don't wear a heavy eye, if you do however, I'd give this a miss.

The face wash.

I call this "Sir Grease-Away".  I used it in the aftermath of Maskgate and it really cleared the grease away but left me moisturised.

I just dashed it on my face, massaged it in a bit and washed it off.

Purchase?
Yes. I'm going to replace my Clinique liquid soap with this.  I've fallen out with the Clinique because used everyday, it strips my skin so I use it when my skin is in need of a degreasing and it works pretty well but I think it's a bit pricey considering how often I use it.  I'd rather pay for this, use it daily than pay £12 for Clinique and use it sporadically.

The exfoliator.

Very tiny beads.  I like to use an exfoliator that I can feel actually scrubbing my skin.  This didn't really make a difference on my skin.  The only thing it did was remove the flakes of skin but I used just water and that did the same.

Usually when I use a scrub, it makes my skin feel smoother but this didn't do anything.

The consistency of the product was also a problem, it's very runny, even moreso than the face wash.  You know how exfoliators are usually pretty thick when you squeeze them out of the tube? This was the exact opposite.  I had to rub it in a fair bit to feel as if it was exfoliating my skin.

Purchase?
No.  I think the main downfall of this product is the size of the exfoliating particles, they're very gentle..almost too gentle.  If they were a bit bigger, I think the product would work better.

The night cream.

Ingredients:
Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Cylopentasiloxane, Paraffinium Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

I tested this last because I don't really use a night cream because I've never seen any differences when using one.  However, I also decided to use it because my skin was going through a period of unrest after the MG debacle.  It went from super greasy and spotty to super dry..and I mean REALLY dry.  My skin has never ever been that dry before, I'd moisturise in the morning and have massive flakes coming off during the day (sexy!)

The first thing I noticed about this cream was that it was really light for a night cream, most night creams I have used are thick affairs which claim to provide intense moisture during the night.

I've been using this a fair bit and it has helped get my skin back to its normal standard, I don't wake up with flakes of skin on my face anymore and my skin does feel softer in the mornings.

Purchase?
Yes, it's a no fuss night cream, just slap it on and go to bed.  I like the fact that it doesn't break me out in whiteheads overnight as most night creams do.  I'd recommend it for girls with combo/oily skin as it's kept my skin on an even keel once it went back to normal, it's also good for girls with dry skin as it eliminates the flakes.

The cleansing wipes.

I've used these before and I love them. I know on here I say "would repurchase" a lot but the products which I feature in my "products I would elope with" are my key loves, they're the ones I pick when I'm packing a bag.  These made the cut.

They have a really light smell and I feel they're just wet enough to take off any grime (and makeup) and leave your skin feeling soft.  Plus, considering that their counterparts are sold at £3 something, these are a bargain!

Purchase?
Before I had these sent to me, I already had three as backups so the educated guess would be yes.

You can buy the whole range in Tescos (surprising!) here is the price list:
Vitamin E cleanser: 72p
Vitamin E night cream: 72p
Vitamin E toner: 72p
Vitamin E eye makeup remover: 72p
Vitamin E face scrub: 72p
Vitamin E face wash: 72p
Vitamin E cleansing wipes: 72p
Vitamin E hand and nail cream: 72p
Vitamin E moisturiser: 72p

The Quest for a New Moisturiser..

Those who follow me on Twitter will know that my Korres moisturiser was on its last legs recently.  It sadly finished a good two weeks ago.

I decided to go to Tescos and pick up some foody bits and I came across an oganic three piece for £1.  It was down from £8 so I assumed the ingredients would be pretty decent.  The packet contained a moisturiser, a mask and a cleanser.  I haven't used the mask and the cleanser but I have been using the moisturiser.  It worked pretty well for the first few days and it was like a cheaper version of my Korres moisturiser but I knew it wouldn't last because I could feel my skin getting greasy.  I checked the ingredients and there was pomegranate in the moisturiser so maybe that's my magic ingredient?  One thing I noticed was that my Korres moisturiser was 40g and this is 30g but this is taking an age to finish..

Anyway, the main problem with the moisturiser was the smell of it.  It smelled like fried foods, but then a bit of strawberry too? It was a pretty obvious smell and people could smell it when they stood near me.

Today, I've been to Superdrug and picked up these two babies:

I've wanted to use them for ages and I've recently noticed that I'm getting dark circles and that my eye area is feeling dry and taught so hopefully the eye cream works too!

Review: Korres Pomegranate Moisturising Cream-Gel

I'm not ashamed to say that I've got greasy skin on my face. The annoying thing is that it is only my nose and my forehead which get greasy whilst my cheeks remain normal. This makes treatment of the problem pretty tricky. If my whole face was greasy then I could just get a mattifying cream and be done with it.  Sadly, I can't. Most of the time I am left with either dry cheeks and a matte forehead/nose or moisturised cheeks and an oil slick on my nose and forehead.  Funnily enough, my chin has never succumbed to greasies..

I tried everything to stop the grease and my latest success was a combination of using Biore's Warming Blackhead Fighting Cream Wash everyday and then moisturising with my Boots moisturiser (which, I think they have discontinued..boo).  My Boots moisturiser finished and I started using Skin Foods which gave me matte skin but also broke me out in spots so I stopped.

Then I was sent Korres Pomegranate Moisturising Cream-Gel to review. I also got the Pomegranate Mask and Pomegranate Scrub (I've been sent two scrubs though so will have to ask for a mask) but I haven't used them yet thanks to el fingero dodgy-o.

I've never used a product by Korres before and for some reason I kept thinking they were affiliated with Michael Kors, despite the fact Korres and Kors is spelt differently and one is Greek and t'other is American.

Korres' USP is that they use natural ingredients and no nasty stuff to make their products.  I'll be honest and say that I never really bothered for natural/organic items which is a bit stupid seeing as all my mum's skincare recipes are 100% based on items you can't find in labs.

Korres claim that "Carob tree polysaccharides and provitamin B5 combine an immediate moisturising effect with long-term hydration balancing activity. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, tightens the pores and tones the skin. Vitamins C and E, in combination with Avocado extract, provide essential antioxidant protection." 

What do I have to say?
This cream works on every level. It moisturised my cheeks and mattified my nose and forehead. I didn't even think to look at my face for grease in a mirror any more because it felt matte. Another benefit which I only noticed yesterday was the fact that it had actually made the pores around my nose vanish.  This alone is no easy task as nothing has ever helped them before!

Now to the not so good.  The container is made of glass so you have to be careful that you don't drop it.  The container only holds 40ml of moisturiser which isn't a lot.  Someone on MUA said that theirs lasted them a long time but mine is nearly finished and I've only been using it since the first week of December.  The smell also takes a bit of getting used to.  Another problem I found was that it if you use it in the winter, your cheeks get dry. It's perfect for summer though.  The final problem is the consistency of the cream-gel but I think that's to be expected, it's a wobbly kinda cream but you get used to that and I'm not complaining because the results you get are fantastic.

Repurchase?
Hell to the yes. The good deffo outweighs the bad here as I have never had a moisturiser which balanced my skin as well as this did before.  Plus it made my pores smaller which is something I have wanted a cream to do for ages.  However, I won't be buying this cream in the winter if this year's winter is as bad as the weather we had in December because it does dry me out a teeeeeeeensy bit.  It's a total winner for the summer though and I feel I'd use less in the summer so it would last me longer.

Korres is available in John Lewis, Boots, lookfantastic.com and on the Korres website. This particular cream retails for £14.40 on lookfantastic.com.