Monday 4 June 2012

May Favourites



Alpha-H Liquid Gold
This stuff has been working absolute wonders on my face. I did a full review of this the other day and despite the high price this is something I can see myself using for years to come. The effects are practically immediate which really sets it apart from most skincare products. It has certainly helped to keep my blemishes at bay and leaves the rest of my face feeling soft and smooth. My face also looks positively radiant. If like me you suffer from closed comedones (those annoying little bumps under the skin that no blemish treatment seems to shift) then this product is a bit of a godsend. I can't sing its praises highly enough!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
I recently ran out of my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish as well as my Philosophy Purity Cleanser and to purchase either of these I have to order them online or hop on a train. So I had a look through my local Boots to see if there were any cleansers I liked the look of. I actually found this in the pharmacy section rather than the skin care section but I'm glad I spotted it as its something I've always wanted to try. Cetaphil is a cleanser that you hear a lot about mainly because its so basic & gentle on the skin. Since I've started using my Alpha-H Liquid Gold I've not really felt the need for a fancy cleanser as that product seems to be doing all of the hard work for me. I wouldn't say that Cetaphil is brilliant at taking off makeup but I use this in the morning and after using my Bioderma at night so thats not really a great concern of mine. A lot of acne sufferers use this product because its really good for sensitive skin. Theres no fragrance in it at all. Its a kind of gel formula that you can either just apply to your face and tissue off or wash off. Like all cleansers you should actually use this on your face while its still dry. It doesn't foam up at all but I still think it works nicely with the Clarisonic Mia (I just wet the brush head after massaging the product into my skin). Whichever way you use this it leaves your skin simply feeling clean, fresh & supple. It does contain parabens which isn't brilliant but for the price I really quite like this cleanser.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream
This eye cream is the best one I've ever used. It contains light reflecting particles that help to brighten the under eye area. A lot of eye creams claim to reduce dark circles but this is the only one I've found that actually lives up to the claim. The effects are not really a solution to the dark circle problem but it works more as a temporary pick me up for your eyes. Its especially great to use in the morning because it brightens your eye before you apply your concealer meaning that you don't need to use as much makeup in that area. I have pretty bad dark circles so its really nice being able to just use a light concealer rather than a full coverage one. Its brilliant at keeping your eye area hydrated so I use this morning and night. It also de-puffs your eyes and feels very cooling on that area. My hayfever has just started playing up and I've found that this does help to stop your eyes feeling quite so dreadful.

Clarins Lotus Treatment Oil
I bought this mainly because I needed to buy a second Clarins item to get a ton of gift with purchase samples & 1000 Boots points but I am absolutely loving this facial oil. I know a lot of people can be funny about putting more oil on their face especially if they already have oily skin but this oil is specially formulated for oily or combination skin. Therefore it actually works to balance the amount of oil that your skin will naturally produce and help to stop spots. They also do two other facial oils for dehydrated and dry skin but I have combination skin so I went for this one. It contains Clarins exclusive blend of rosewood, geranium & lotus oils which smell incredible. Its really calming to massage this into your skin before bed and whenever I wake up after using this my skin feels beautifully plump & smooth, not greasy at all.

Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream For Face SPF50+
I spent a couple of weeks last month researching facial sunscreens because this summer I am determined to keep my freckly face under control. The moisturiser I've been using lately (Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré) doesn't contain any SPF so I bought this to use on top of it to protect my pale skin. Theres a lot of moisturisers out there that already contain SPF but they tend to only go up to factor 30 and I need a lot more protection. This is a really nice sunscreen because it doesn't leave any white cast to your skin and actually smells quite nice. I was tempted by the La Roche Posay and No.7 facial sunscreens but they smelled horrible. The lady at the Clarins counter told me that if you're using this as an everyday sun protection product you should wear your normal moisturiser underneath but I found that my face felt a bit too greasy after that. So I've just been using this product instead and used alone it does a great job of hydrating your face without making it super greasy. It might not be ideal for someone with really oily skin but I've found that as soon as you apply your foundation the greasiness goes away anyway. Since discovering the wondrousness of Alpha-H products I'm tempted to buy their Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+ when this runs out because thats two products I want in one. Plus its important to wear sun protection all year round which is something I've failed to do in the past & its doubly important if like me you've been fiddling about with glycolic acid products recently!




MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl
Since we've had this recent heatwave I've been trying to wear less eye makeup because it does tend to melt onto my face. My hayfever has also been flaring up a bit so if I do rub my itchy eyes, my black liquid liner and mascara go absolutely everywhere. So I've been wearing this golden bronzey eyeliner smudged over my top and bottom lashes to give them some definition without looking too harsh. The good thing about smudged eyeliner is that if it does get a bit messed up as the day goes on, it looks intentional haha. I'm not too keen on loads of black kohl liner on my waterline because it does make my piggy eyes look even smaller than usual. This colour is a gorgeous alternative that also highlights the green in my hazel eyes.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
Another month, another highlighter it seems! I just can't get enough of this champagne coloured powder highlighter. The shimmer in this is comparable to that of MAC Soft & Gentle MSF but its perhaps a touch more metallic. The colour is more golden than the peachyness of Soft & Gentle and I think it looks really nice on my skintone. I know that Christine of Temptalia is a big fan of this product and if its good enough for her, then its good enough for me!



Alpro Almond Milk
I've never really been too fond of cows milk. I don't put milk in my tea or eat loads of cheese or yoghurt but I have it on my cereal every morning. When I do buy cows milk I always go for Cravendale because they filter it loads so it contains less bacteria. In the past I've tried soy milk (vom!) as well as rice milk & oat milk but recently I saw that Alpro have started selling almond milk. This seems to be the healthiest out of all the faux milk products as it contains less calories, less fat, more vitamins and more fibre. I know a lot of people have been wanting to go dairy-free after watching Barbara's video about how it has helped her skin so this is a good milk alternative to buy. It tastes amazing and even though its more expensive than normal milk (at about £1.50 a carton!) I'm definitely going to be buying this from now on. My new addiction is having this warm with golden syrup flavour Weetabix, nom!

18 comments:

  1. Definitely going to order the Alpha-H liquid gold as I have a problem with those little bumps under my skin too.

    Zara
    x

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  2. I couldn't tell the difference between the nut milk and soya milk to be honest! I just buy whatever's cheaper haha.

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  3. I really want to try the cleanser, but if it doesn't get make-up off well i might just go for the bioderma!

    http://thefashiondistrictnlc.blogspot.co.uk/

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  4. I'm thinking about going dairy free and was considering hazelnut milk as the alternative. I'm not a cereal eater but a big tea drinker and I can't stand soya milk, blech x

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  5. I really want to try almond milk and the liquid gold. I get those annoying under skin spots along my cheekbones - they're never red or anything but they just look annoying under makeup! x

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  6. I want to try Hazelnut milk as well as Almond Milk as sometimes cows milk makes me belly feel funny.
    Also I love Ginzing eye cream it is amazing...! :)

    LaceyLoves

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  7. After reading your liquid gold review I was so intrigued that I did a bit of research and ended up buying REN's fruit acid version ... oops! ;)
    I want to try almond milk really badly too, but I forget to look for it every time we go shopping!

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  8. I really want powersurge but it's always sold out!
    xx

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  9. I've heard really good things about Cetaphil, I definitely need to try it out for myself!

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  10. First FleurDeForce on YouTube talked about Alpha-H Liquid Gold and now you, and now I feel like I have no choice but to try it myself! Haha. This product sounds like a dream. I've suffered from acne for a few years now and while it's under control now, I still break out every now and then and have the most awful scars as result. I definitely want to invest in this in the near future!

    When my MAC eye cream (really does not do anything for the skin!) runs out, I am so eager to try out Origins' GinZing. Everyone keeps raving about it! I just have a never-ending wishlist of products thanks to blogging. :p

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  11. Hey Cal, have you tried Mac's liquidlast eyeliner? It's the only one I've tried that doesn't seem to shift even after rubbing your eyes or if it rains etc. :) x

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  12. I've been using Cetaphil for about 3 months now (usually right after I use a cold cream and right before a toner) and I love how gentle it is on my picky skin. It took me a few times to get the hang of making it work, but I love how cleansing it feels!

    http://www.stylenerd.net

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  13. great post i like it so much.

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  14. loads of things I want to try again! The almond milk sounds lovely and might get some to keep in work to eat with my porridge. Everyone drinks my skimmed milk but probably wont want that :)

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  15. ahhh i love liquid gold too and origins and the almond milk! i can't have dairy n i really like this in coffee :)

    xxx
    http://www.unnakednails.com/

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  16. I love Clarins products!
    Also you hair...ah!such a great colour :)
    xo

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  17. Hi Caroline, it was out of my imagination that I will be able to go through such sweet and useful procurement. Love your beauty care project and the way you revealed all the items. Even the sweet, vivid and clear description including the Age of Dinosaurs awful Alpha-H Liquid Gold, cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, origins ginzing eye-cream, clarins lotus treatment oil, clarins sun wrinkle control cream for face SPF50+, MAC powersurge eye kohl, the balm Mary-Lou Manizer, alpro almond milk- all were inspiring read. Love your beauty care thoughts ideas and efforts. I also love to receive my beauty enhancers from Wildbloombotanicals who offer a variety of herbal supplements such as alcohol-free tinctures, elixir powders, herbal teas, and essential oils. All of their products are organic, vegan, and handmade. A few day back I also bought my favorite blue lotus essential oil that really keep me cool and vigor.

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