Keeping things simple.

Despite winter being well on it's way here in New Zealand this last week we've had a mini late autumn heat wave. It's not been breaking records or anything but bare legs and suncream have definitely made an appearance. I've wholeheartedly embraced the warmer weather and my make up has been kept to a complete minimum, as no one wants to slap on a ton of make up when it's going to sweat off! Following the same theme my skin care has become seriously streamlined with one cleanser being almost entirely to blame.

Simple make up

It's all about the skin at the moment, any shift in weather makes my skin a little funny for the first week as it handles the change, so instead of smothering it in foundation I've been reaching for a sheer, dewy tinted moisturiser. The perfect little combo at the moment in Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser and Collection lasting perfection concealer, these two together provide a great finish, slightly dewy but with great targeted coverage.

Everything else is kept super simple, a little hula bronzer for some slight contouring action, a tiny amount of They're Real Mascara (since it's a pain to remove) and just a slight shimmer shade all over the lid, usually Urban Decay's Sin or Mac's All that Glitter. Fresh, Quick and Simple for mornings when getting out of bed is just hard work.

Simple Cleanser

I actually first tried this when my friend let me borrow hers and I liked it so much I went out and bought it myself. Despite going out to get it I'm not going to tell you this is necessary in your life, although I do think something 'like' this is a necessity. It's gentle, it's calming and it does the trick. I've not seen any magical effects from using it but I know that regardless of how my skin is doing this will cleanse without being stripping, or leaving my skin clogged. 

It's biggest selling point for me has got to be that I really can use it on my eyes and it doesn't irritate or make my eyes water - I definitely don't use it daily on my eyes but if it's a late night and I just can't be bothered it gets rid of your eye make up while you cleanse your face. Ss many cleansers claim to be for skin and eyes, maybe it's just me, but I find half of them way to harsh to use anywhere near my eyes.

Here's hoping the warm weather lasts a little longer here - not likely sadly.

Cold Cream

 I recently got a couple of boots vouchers through the post so, when I popped in I picked up a couple bits and pieces I wanted but I was £3 short of getting my double points so I picked up a tub of Cold Cream – something I’ve been meaning to test out for months.

 It’s a measly £2.42 for a whopping 200ml and is a bit of a cult product as it's the original make up remover that a lot of your grandparents probably used. If your looking for an extremely gentle nightly make up remover that will moisturise while taking off your make up - this might be the one for you. 

I personally only reach for this when I'm wearing more make up than normal as I find this a touch too heavy for every-day-use but, say after a night out this is perfect as it really cuts through the most long wearing foundation. I should also mention it does a pretty good job of getting through eye make up - without it stinging your eyes. Its not really cut out for waterproof mascara though.

 If your trying to fight/prevent ageing, one of the best methods if to keep your skin hydrated and plumped up, and nothing is going to moisturise your skin like this.

I use this by rubbing it over dry skin then leaving it a good 10 minutes or so (I usually use this time to get ready for bed) then using a muslin cloth - or a normal face cloth I just remove the cream and my make up with warm water. This is my night time saviour when I'm too lazy to do a full routine as i feel like it takes my make up off and moisturises my skin in one step. 

Overall I like this for days I want to treat my skin, however its not going to be part of my daily routine any time soon as its just too heavy. If you've got dry skin, or your looking into anti-aging and want something to really help plump up your skin, this might be something to look into as most make up removers can be quite drying however that's not to say that if you've got oily skin this isn't for you, you'd probably just have to use it much more sparingly.

I should also point out it has a relatively strong scent, that I'm personally not too keen on but my mum really enjoys. The smell also lingers for quite a well, it’s up to you whether that’s a negative though.

Let me know if you’ve tried cold cream and what your thoughts were on it :)

Hope this has been helpful!! x

Clearasil Skin Perfecting Wash

I'm going to start of by saying I definitely think that, in general, you get what you pay for with skin care and this is no exception. The quality of the ingredients don't really compare with some of the more luxurious face washes out there. 

But I don't think that means cheaper brands aren't amazing for basics. Clearasil Daily Clear Skin Perfecting Wash is my 'go to' face wash. I don't typically use it every day - purely because I'm a beauty junkie so I'm always trying new things but if my skin is playing up this is always the one I reach for. 

It's very lightly scented - nothing offensive just a soft clean scent. The consistency is very creamy and feels quite moisturising on the skin. However it does have tiny beads for exfoliating which I personally like, the beads don't do any serious exfoliating so you don't need to worry about using this in conjunction with other exfolitators. The beads don't do a great deal of exfoliating. 

As to the claims that it'll magically 'perfect' your skin, well, it won't. It does keep my skin clear without drying it out though which I'm quite happy with. I also want to mention that I don't rate Clearasil as a brand - I find the majority of their products are far too strong but that's why this really is a hidden gem.

So far as price and availability it's really easy to find in Boots and Superdrug for £3.79 . One other feature is the super handy packaging. It's simple with a good pump that doesn't deposit too much product. 

Hope this has been helpful!! x

Trilogy?

I’ve been using these two products every single day for the past five weeks (any skincare products I review I always use for a minimum of 3 weeks constantly) and I’ve got to say I’m impressed :)
I’m going to review the two products separately but I do think a big part of why I’ve had such good results is because in conjunction they seem to work better than paired with other branded products.(I have started introducing other branded products recently and they do work well but I think together you get the best out of the products)

Trilogy energising face lotion
This is my favourite product out of the two, partly because the packaging reflects the price with a chic glass bottle and simple informative labels which reflect the natural image of Trilogy but also because despite of this not being the cheapest lotion it is amazing value!
I love how this feels on my skin, it really is lightweight and soothing while delivering just the right amount of hydration! I do prefer to use this in the mornings as although I can’t pinpoint why this is ‘energising’ I always feel my skin looks refreshed after use.

One pump and you get the perfect about for your whole face. I normally have to use double this amount of most of my moisturisers but I’ve found this to be the perfect amount to hydrate my skin even when it’s been dry because of harsh weather.

Trilogy balancing gel cleanser
I’m always a little wary of ‘gel’ cleansers as I’ve found in the past they can dry or irritate my skin but this one does exactly what it says – it balances out any dry or oily patches I have ready for the lotion.
This comes as a very pale light white gel and the amount on my hand it probably enough for two uses! As similar to the lotion you really only need a tiny bit of the product. This is the sort of face wash I can imagine coming back to time and time again as it’s a great staple cleanser that is gentle enough to use on a daily basis but still makes your skin feel clean!

I just want to mention, both products have the very distinctive Trilogy scent which at first I wasn’t overly keen on (It’s quite herbal and I’d say its relatively strong for facial skin care...) But since using these two products for the past several weeks the scent has really grown on me and unlike a lot of scented skin care the smell doesn’t linger on your skin- which is definitely good.
Trilogy products aren’t the easiest to get hold of however certain boots stores do stock them and you can buy online at boots but the easiest place to get hold of them iss on there own website which tells you quite a bit about the products themselves. Trilogy products also seem to be featured on numerous discounted websites as they are relatively high end– but then you get what you pay for with most skin care and their ingredients are great quality with all sorts of plant extracts such as, rosehip oil, cucumer, elderberry and comfrey!

Overall I’m definitely going to be repurchasing the energising face lotion – you get so much in a bottle and you only need to use a little bit though so it might be while until I have to get another one! And the balancing gel cleanser is the sort of product I’ll probably always go back to when my skin is playing up because this a really lovely staple cleanser that I don’t think you can go wrong with!

P.S Both of these are full of natural ingredients which are normally great for people with sensitive or irritable skin, since I have neither I let my mum try these 0ut as she has very sensitive skin. She actually liked them enough to go out and buy her own cleanser and lotion from Trilogy!