Mooncup: This will change your life

I guess I should say that if you're a boy, you shouldn't be reading this.  But I'm not going to - if you're a boy and you're reading this, share it with your female friends, your mum, your sisters, cousins, whatever.  Every girl should know about this, so keep on reading, and then click the little share button at the bottom :)

If you're a girl, and you're thinking this is gross, or something along those lines, I beg you to keep reading.  This product changed the way I see that time of the month and, without sounding too cheesy, it liberated me from having to worry about when it might happen, where I might be, whether I was prepared etc.  It's well worth reading about and if the physical, emotional or environmental benefits don't sway you, the monetary benefits might... you will save SO MUCH money.

So what's a Mooncup?  

The Mooncup is a type of menstrual cup, an alternative to disposable products like sanitary pads and tampons.  There are a few different brands, but I found Mooncup to have the most information online, and the easiest to find in shops.  The information in this post can, of course, be extrapolated to other brands of menstrual cup - Diva, Luna, etc.

The Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup made from medical grade silicone, and collects blood rather than absorbing it as a pad or tampon would.  Then you take it out, rinse it and pop it back in and carry on with your life.

To put it simply, it sits 'up there' and catches menstrual blood.  It's reusable and has a ton of benefits.

Menstrual cups have been around since the 1930's, but were made from latex at the time.  Extensive research was carried out, a hypo-allergenic alternative was found, and the Mooncup was launched in 2002

The Benefits!

I'm going to split this up into a couple of sections, because the list is way too long just to write out and expect anyone to be able to make sense of it.  So first up...

Convenience:

The Mooncup holds THREE TIMES AS MUCH as a tampon or pad.  Three times!

It can be worn for up to 12 HOURS at a time, and just needs to be rinsed out and reinserted.

It can be worn overnight, whilst swimming, travelling, exercising or while you're sitting around on tumblr and watching YouTube videos.  Trust me on that last one, I definitely know.

It's discreet - It has no string - you can wear a bikini in confidence! And it comes in a little bag to keep it in for the rest of the month.

Health Benefits:

It's made from medical grade silicone, which is latex-free, hypo-allergenic and contains no dyes, BPA, phthalates, plastic, bleaches or toxins. 

It's non-absorbant, so it won't cause dryness and doesn't mess up your natural pH levels (35% of the fluid absorbed by tampons is your body's natural moisture)

It has measurement markings, so you can tell your doctor how much blood you're losing, especially helpful in PCOS, Menorrhagia, Endometriosis etc.

The risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is greatly reduced.

Environmental Benefits:

The mooncup completely reduces the amount of waste you produce.   On average, one woman uses 22 tampons or pads during each period. That's over 11000 disposable sanitary products in a lifetime!
In the UK, 4.3 BILLION disposable sanitary products are disposed of every single year.

The waste from this is enormous - not just the products themselves, but the packaging, the applicators, backing strips, and the boxes they come in - they all end up either in landfills or in the sea.  Do you reeeeeally want your used sanitary products being chucked into the sea?  Didn't think so.

With the mooncup, you buy one, and it lasts upto 10 years.  That's around 2650 sanitary products that you've not used and thrown away. 

Money!

The other benefit of one Mooncup lasting 10 years, is that you'll only repurchase it on average about 3-5 times. (unless someone flushes yours down the toilet, which happened to me.)

The Mooncup costs £20, so that's a total of between £60-£100 for your lifetime.

Tampons cost about £1.50 for 20 - given that the average woman uses approx 22 per month, and accounting for buying multiple boxes of different absorbencies that's about £3 per month.

That's £36 a year. £360 in 10 years. The average age of starting is 11 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's 40 years, or £1440.  Pads are generally more expensive, also.

Sizing

The mooncup is available in two sizes - A and B.  The sizes are based on pelvic floor tone, and not menstrual flow.  This varies based on age and whether you have had children, and the easiest way to see which size you are is by looking at the table below:

By looking at the table I can see that, because I am under 30 and have had no children, I am a size B.

But how do I use it??

Each Mooncup comes with an instruction guide, with diagrams showing how to use the cup.  The Mooncup website also has a comprehensive Advice Centre and FAQ section, for any questions on usage. 

Basically, you open up the bag and recoil in horror at the thought of this thing getting anywhere near 'up there'.  Then you open up the instructions and see that it's meant to be folded.  You start breathing again, and practice the different folds.

There are two main folding techniques which I will insert below (no pun intended).  I, personally, prefer the second one as it is more comfortable to me, but everyone's preference will vary and you need to try both to see which works best for you.

The mooncup is designed to be worn much lower than a tampon, but again this will vary from person to person.

But how will I get it out??

The Mooncup has a stem at the base, it looks scarily uncomfortable at first, but fear not! It can be trimmed to the size that best fits your body.  Personally, I close to get rid of the entire stem as I found it a bit irritating.

If you choose to keep the stem, all you do to remove the cup is give it a gentle pull to break the seal that formed when you inserted it, and then gently pull it out.

If, like me, you removed the whole stem, you just reach the base of the cup, pinch the sides to break the seal, and gently pull it out.

It can take a while to get the angles right, but if you practice beforehand, you'll get used to it pretty quickly.

Once you've removed it, just give it a rinse under a tap, or with some bottled water, or wipe it with some tissue.  Then pop it back in and go about your life!

But won't I feel it??

Because the Mooncup is made from a soft silicone material, you can't feel it once it's inserted (unless the stem is too long).  It's flexible and changes shape with your body.

Ok, I get it, but is there an instructional video??

Yes!! And it has subtitles in case you want your privacy!!

I would do a Pros and Cons for this, but there are honestly no Cons that I can think of.

I've been using mine for about 3 years now, and it has given me a freedom that I love.

Instead of constantly worrying about leaking, or being near a toilet to change whatever I was using before, I can now go out on heavy days and not worry about what I'm wearing and how far I am from a toilet.

I have gone from changing every 30 mins-1 hour to every 4-6 hours on my heavier days.  I can now go to work on those days, and not have to leave every half an hour to check or change.  It's incredible!

The Mooncup is available worldwide from the Mooncup website, or if you're in the UK, you can also pick it up from Boots.

If you've tried the Mooncup and want to share your opinion, please comment below!
Likewise, if you have any questions, or I've missed anything, comment below and I'll answer your questions.

Rach xo

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Sleek i-Divine Au Naturel Palette

Okay, I know, I haven't blogged in like... 3, almost 4 months.  My laptop broke and I am incapable of getting anything done when I need to, so it took me a while to send it for repair.  By a while I mean 3, almost 4 months.  Whoops!

But on a positive note, i bought a ton of makeup in that time and have lots of posts coming up! Hooray for laziness and an addiction to beauty products - right? so let's crack on.

The Sleek i-Divine range is a series of super-pigmented mineral eye shadow palettes with a variety of matte, pearl and glitter shades.  My favourite one I have is Au Naturel, and it's been part of my daily makeup routine for... oh almost a year now (again, lazy blogger!). 

It has 12 neutral shades which would complement any eye colour.  They are surprisingly pigmented for 'drugstore' eyeshadows, and work well both as a wash of colour or for more defined/statement eye looks.

My personal favourites are Nubuck - the matte light grey, for a wash of colour over the lid, Cappuccino - the matte light brown, for a light contour through the crease, Bark - the matte dark brown for a deep contour on the outer edge or if I fancy looking like Lana del Rey for a day (who wouldn't?!) and Noir, the blackest black of all the black eyeshadows I've owned ever in the history of all time - perfect for lining the lashes or creating an intense smokey eye. 

I use these with the Real Techniques eye brushes - Base Shadow brush for applying the colour to the lid and crease, the Deluxe Crease brush for blending and the Angled Brow brush for liner (it gives a cleaner line than the smaller, fluffier brushes).

The shadows work well alone and tend to last a good 8 hours on me without a primer, but my eyelids don't tend to get super oily or anything.  With a primer I get a couple of extra hours wear and less smudging under the eye.

They are excellent shadows, especially for the price - £7.99! You can't go wrong with these. 

They're available from Sleek.com, and there are 17 palettes to choose from if this one doesn't feel like 'the one'. (also available from Superdrug and Boots)

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

Sleek Face Form - Contour, Highlight and Blush

'With multi-tasking elements such as contour powder, highlighter and/or blusher or bronzer, Face Form is the ultimate face definition kit in one neat compact designed to suit all skin tones.Please note: Face Form in Fair and Light come with contour powder, highlighter and blush. Face Form in Medium and Dark come available with contour powder, highlighter and a bronzer.'

It's no secret, I love contouring more than any other part of my makeup routine.  It's mainly because I have a massive moon face once I put on foundation, and nobody wants a moon face.  Anyone with skin like my own will know how daunting it is to contour your face - you constantly buy bronzer after bronzer and usually end up looking like you have some sort of skin condition - It's either orange, patchy or dirty looking.    Then there's the shimmer - even the matte bronzers I've used just love to put that little bit of shimmer in there.  The light hits it and bam, moon face again. 

Until I got this bad boy.  The Sleek Face Form - I am in love. 

The Sleek Face Form kit is a palette with a bronzer, highlight and blush, and comes in four different shades to suit your skin tone (Fair, Light, Medium, Dark).  I, of course, have the Fair one - being that I am 99% sure I'm in some way related to Caspar the friendly ghost.

I apply the contour powder first (you can see where I apply it in my How to Contour and Highlight blog - here), then highlight, and then blush.  I always do the highlighter before blush so that it doesn't give a solid stripe, because the blush blends over it a bit and softens it for a more natural look.

The bronzer in this kit is perfect for pale skin - it isn't orange toned, blends really well and gives a shadow effect to the face rather than an orange stripe.  I apply mine using an ecotools tapered blush brush, or a real techniques contour brush - depending on how strong I want my contouring.

The highlight has a slight pinky tone and gives a nice sheen to the top of the cheekbones, tip of the nose and cupids bow, without making you look like you just high-5'd a disco ball with your face.

The blush is a lovely pink with gold tones, it's really subtle and gives a nice healthy glow, and can be built up to give more of a dramatic look.  Again, I apply this with my ecotools tapered blush brush (because it is THE softest brush in all the land). 

I've had this kit for almost 6 months, used it every single day and have only just hit pan on the bronzer - the highlight and blush are still going strong!  It hasn't broken me out at all, and stays on all day.

I will definitely be repurchasing this when I run out - at £9.99 for 20g of high quality product, it's a bargain.  And the packaging is extremely convenient when you're getting ready in a rush.

The Sleek Face Form kit is available to purchase from Sleek, Boots and Superdrug.

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried this product, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

My NSpa Daily Skincare Routine

NSpa is a brand of skincare, bodycare and haircare created by the experts at the UK's Number 1 Day Spa - Nirvana spa.  The products are all dermatologically approved and paraben free, and none of the products or raw ingredients are tested on animals.  

After trying out the NSpa Beauty Rituals Beauty Box, I picked up a few more of their products and have fallen into a skincare routine that works perfectly for me, and my skin has never looked or felt better.  I've even switched to a light/sheer coverage foundation. I never thought that would happen! 

The Beauty Rituals Skincare range is a 4-Step system with multiple options for each step, which allows you to create a skincare routine completely tailored to your own personal needs and preferences. The first step is Cleanse, second is Exfoliate, followed by Treat and then you finish up with Moisturise.

For my cleanser, I use either the Melting Cleansing Gel, which you can read my review of here, or the Ultimate Cleansing Tonic, which I tend to use the most.  It's a one-step cleanser which is half water based and half oil/silicone based. You shake it up, squirt it onto a cotton wool pad and well, wipe your face until your makeup's all gone.  It has Witch hazel for toning and Ginseng for moisturising, so my skin is left soft and healthy rather than tight and dry.

Step 2 is exfoliate, and the product I use most is the Skin Renewal Gel.  It has no exfoliating beads, but uses natural fruit extracts to exfoliate instead.  Orange, lemon and bilberry extracts break down dead skin cells and leave my skin smooth and fresh.  And it's gentle enough that it does the job without irritating my sensitive skin!

The third step is Treat - my favourite step and probably my favourite NSpa product!  I use the Deep Hydrating Facial Oil.  It comes in a 50ml bottle with a dropper, and you use about 3 drops for your entire face and neck.  Again, it uses natural oils to give your skin a well deserved treat - Baobab oil, rich in vitamins A, D, E and F helps improve skin elasticity, Rosehip oil helps restore and strengthen, whilst Avocado and Jojoba oils rehydrate and condition the skin.  It's not too greasy, you only need a tiny bit as it goes a very long way, and it keeps my skin soft all day.  I honestly think that this product has something to do with my acne scars having lightened over the past month or so.  I love it.

Finally, I moisturise.  I use two products for this step - the first is the Youthful Eye Cream, an intensive moisturiser for the delicate eye area, that still feels super light and absorbs really well.  It's a tiny pot and it lasts a really long time because you need so little.  I can feel a difference as soon as I put it on, and it really helps to refresh my eyes after a long day at work looking at a computer screen.

The second moisturiser I use is the Night Repair Cream - a silicone based, very rich moisturiser with ceramides, ginseng, Vitamin E and sweet almond oil to make your skin feel super super soft and hydrated.  It's a light pink, very thick cream, and a little goes a really, really long way.
The great thing about this product (apart from that it works really well, obviously) is that it has a dual purpose that NSpa could really make a lot of money from if they decided to - being silicone based, it makes an AMAZING primer.  My makeup glides on over it and stays in place all day.  And I don't get annoying dry patches, because my skin's so moisturised.  Double winner.

All of these products are available at ASDA stores, or on the ASDA website, and are currently on offer for an amazing 2 for £8.  I cannot recommend these products enough!

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

August 2013 Glossybox Review

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p+p)

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products in a quick survey, or by inviting friends, and redeem points for a free box.  Each survey is worth 50 points, and 1000 Glossydots = 1 free box, so if you review 5 products a month, every 5th Glossybox should be free.  You get 200 Glossydots for every friend that signs up and places an order. 

The August 2013 Glossybox had a high-flyer's theme - 'Your Travel Kit for the Summer', with products from various places across the globe.

First up in the box was a make up remover pen from Brazillian company Ócéane Femme, which I'd obviously never heard of before, what with them being from Brazil and all.  It's a pen with make up remover liquid inside, and disposable nibs.

You can use it to clean up eyeliner, lips, smudges of mascara - anything you want to correct really - and it does the job very well! You don't need to go over and over the area, it comes off in one clean sweep, so you can get a really sharp winged eye, or very defined lips.

The nibs do absorb the product that's been removed, but the pack comes with one nib in the pen, and 3 spares, so it's no big deal if one gets dirty.

I'm not sure what retails at, because I can't find anywhere that stocks it! But however much it is (within reason), it's worth it.

Next up in the box was something I've never really understood the appeal of - eyelash curlers.  

These particular ones are from Emite, a Swedish brand.

They're black with a red rubber bits (does anyone know what they're called?), and are apparently the only curlers to have the handle angled away from the curling mechanism so that you don't have to touch them against your face and ruin your base make up.

They work really well and have become a part of my everyday routine, whereas my old ones barely ever saw the light of day.

The RRP is around £20, and they are available to purchase from Emite Makeup.

Third in the box was a 2-in-1 eyeshadow/liner pencil from Glossybox's favourite brand, Jelly Pong Pong.  I won't lie, I was hoping for any colour other than black, as I've got PLENTY of black eyeliners and eyeshadow, and I wanted to try a colourful waterline. The purple one looks beautiful.  But of course, I got black.  

I did try it in the waterline and will be completely honest in saying that it does not work at all.  At all.  Yeah, it puts some colour down, but then it separates and looks grey and gathers in the corners of your eye for a mascara-gloop look.

It works fine as eyeliner on the lid, and can be smudged and layered to create a smokey eye eyeshadow effect, but I wouldn't label it as an eyeshadow.Not great.  Its RRP is £10.50 and there are so many better eyeliners on the market for less money.  

Trèsemmé also featured in this month's box, with a product not yet available in the UK - Keratin Smooth 60 Second Conditioning Treatment Shot.  It's a tiny little tube (15ml) of intensive conditioner designed to restore and repair damaged hair, leaving it smooth and strengthened.

It does an alright job, my hair was nice and soft, but I can't say that it felt much stronger - it's hard to tell from 1 or 2 treatments, which is all the small tube allows for (on long hair, anyway).

The only downside I can think of, other than the teeny tiny amount you get for your money, is that the tube has a break-off end rather than a screw cap, or even just a normal shampoo bottle cap, so you can't reseal it at all.

This product is not yet available for purchase.

The final product in the box was a tube of Urban Veda Purfiying Facial Polish.  

Urban Veda are a natural, ayurvedic skincare company.  They are against animal testing and all of their products are approved by the Vegetarian society.  All of their packaging is recyclable and all bottles are made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

The facial polish contains natural pumice as an exfoliant, cold pressed neem oil and essential oils to remove impurities and treat blackheads.  The antioxidant rich botanicals work in synergy with naturally astringent herbals and collagen-boosting extracts to reduce excess sebum, tighten pores and hydrate the skin.

It smells very refreshing, with tea-tree and spearmint being the main scents, exfoliates really well and has been helping to clear my skin of the endless hormonal outbreaks that have been popping up recently.

Whilst it is £8.99/125ml, I would say that this is definitely a product worth the money.  A little bit goes a really long way and it gets the job done.  Available to purchase from urbanVeda.co.uk.

The August box was definitely a step up from the string of disappointing boxes I've received recently, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the September box impresses me as much as this one has.

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Real Techniques Core Collection

I have been using my cheap Fraulein 3°8 brushes for a couple of years now, and they are well past the point of being worn out - half of them have vanished into thin air and the other half have lost their shape and become a bit scratchy.

Don't get me wrong, they were great brushes for the price I paid (£14.99 for 31 brushes!), and make for excellent starter brushes, but I was beyond ready for some better quality brushes that better fit my needs.

After a lot of deliberation about which brushes to get - do I get Shaanxo's 4pc Synthetic Face Brush Set, wait to see how much Wayne Goss' brushes will be, get a couple of MAC brushes, Crown brushes, Sigma... the list continues - I decided to go for the Real Techniques Core Collection by Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo.

At £21.99 it was the best value for money that I found, still keeping the quality.

The brushes within the set are:

- Buffing Brush
- Pointed Foundation Brush
- Contour Brush
- Detailer Brush,

They are 100% Cruelty Free, made with synthetic taklon bristles, and come in a really handy case.

Buffing Brush

The Buffing Brush has transformed the way I apply my makeup, honestly.  It's really densely packed and feels super soft on the skin.  I know that everyone has their own preferences of which brushes they use to apply which products, and I am no different.  The brush is recommended for use with cream/powder foundations, however I find that it applies my liquid foundation flawlessly.

I usually pump the product onto the back of my hand, and apply it with the buffing brush in small circles, or stippling over areas where I have applied my concealer.  I find that, this way, I can build the coverage in the areas I feel that I need it, and sheer it out in my less problematic areas.  I have more control over where my makeup is placed and can avoid any streaks by buffing it in really well.

I also use my buffing brush to blend the edges of my contouring / blush, to give it a more natural finish rather than looking like stripes of war paint across my cheeks - not a good look!

Pointed Foundation Brush

On days when I have more time to spend on my face, I will use the Pointed Foundation Brush to apply my foundation in 5 lines - down my forehead/nose/chin, and at the top and bottom of each cheek.  then I can blend it with my buffing brush.

I also find that it is great for getting into tricky areas - like the under-eye area, or around the nose.  I have, on occasion, used it to apply concealer to those areas, and have found that it works just fine.  The bristles are densely packed, but have enough layering to be able to give a nice feathered finish to concealer when you don't want quite as full coverage.

Contour Brush

Along with the buffing brush, the Contour Brush is the brush I use every day.  I use it for both contouring and blush, and if I'm feeling fancy, highlighter too.  It has a really nice domed shape and picks up product incredibly well.  I use it to apply matte bronzer from my ear to halfway towards my mouth, along my jawline and up across my temples in small circles, to give my face more shape and definition.

I use the same method of application to apply my blush (but obviously only to my cheeks) and then blend any edges that are left with my buffing brush to make it look more seamless and get one step closer to that airbrushed finish we all crave.

Detailer Brush 

The Detailer Brush is the odd one out for me.  I have used it to apply concealer, but find that using my fingers to warm up the product and press it onto my skin gives a better finish.  I've also tried using it for lipstick, and it works just fine, but it's a bit hard to get the precision required for a defined cupids bow or really clean lines around the lips, as it's just a strange in-between size.  It is, however good for applying a highlight to the inner corner of the eye and onto the brow bone.

The Case

Finally I want to mention the case.  This really sets these brushes apart, in my opinion.  The brushes come in the right hand side of the case, with each gap in the elastic sized to fit each individual brush, and on the left side there are 2 extra spaces for any other brushes you may use on a daily basis, or if, like me, you plan to buy more real techniques brushes which aren't part of a set, you can keep them all together.

The case folds up sideways and has a velcro closure to keep brushes secure and compact, and also folds backwards, as seen in the photo above, to create a brush stand.  It secures with a toggle and is really handy for grabbing your brushes.

If you are considering buying these brushes, I would definitely recommend them - they are excellent quality and you just can't argue with the price - I've found them available for £17.85 (15% off) at HQHair.com, so if you can take advantage of that offer, do! If not, they are available for £20.99 at TheHut.com and FeelUnique.com, or £21.99 from Boots.

Car shot - full face applied with Real Techniques brushes.

I hope this review was helpful!

Do you use Real Techniques brushes?  Which are your favourites? - Comment below!

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Review: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

 I was running out of my Rimmel Wake Me Up, and my skin's been getting crappier by the day recently (thanks, summer heat), so I needed a concealer that could cover blemishes well.  After hearing all the hype around the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, I decided I needed to try it.

I picked it up at Superdrug for £3.99, and didn't expect much from it for that price, yeah it might cover my spots/scarring for a bit but I was fully expecting it to wear off after a couple of hours - no way would a £3.99 concealer last 16 hours.

WRONG.

I have to jump on the band wagon and agree that this is a must-have makeup bag staple.  It goes on well, has full coverage, blends easily, doesn't go cakey, and lasts. all. day.

The concealer is available in 4 shades, Fair, Light, Medium and Deep.  I, of course, being the vampire-skinned, almost albino, ghostly pale person that I am, use the shade Fair.  The colour match is spot on, and the coverage is incredible.

Unlike some concealers I've used in the past, Lasting Perfection doesn't lose a lot of it's coverage when it's blended - which means I can wear a light-medium coverage foundation and let my skin breathe a bit more!

I use it over any redness, scarring and blemishes, and under my eyes - it takes a little bit of extra blending to make sure the under-eye area doesn't crease, but it usually stays put exactly where it's applied and doesn't budge all day - which is impressive in the heat we've been having in the UK recently - I'll come home and most of my foundation will have worn away, but I don't look too bad because my problem areas are still well concealed and blended to look, well, like normal skin.

I do find that if I apply it over a healing blemish / cystic that it doesn't sit very well, but nothing really does.  That's the price you pay for constantly messing with your face without realising I guess. (Read about how I reduce the size of blemishes here).

The only other 'Con' I have is that, whilst the product itself is transfer proof, the lettering on the packaging is not.  Pro Tip: Paint the concealer tube with clear nail polish as soon as you buy it, otherwise you WILL end up with black smudges on your hands, face, clothes, walls - everywhere.

Overall I do really love this concealer and will repurchase and repurchase and repurchase.

It's available to buy from Superdrug for £3.99, Boots for £4.19 or Amazon for £3.99.

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Review: Clearasil Ultra Seal To Clear Spot Treatment Gel

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you can feel a spot just waiting under your skin, preparing to ruin your day?  Unless you have been blessed by some higher power, the answer is probably yes.  And unfortunately, at 22 and a half years old, I still get them at least once a week.

Over the past... 10+ years, I've tried all the home 'treatments' for spots - toothpaste, ice, lemon juice, tea tree, face washes, face scrubs, face masks, and always ended up with it staying exactly the same or getting worse - one bad face mask left me with a red, burning face and the spots looking angrier than ever.

In March I had a bit of time on my lunch break and went into Home Bargains looking at the beauty products.  I saw Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Seal To Clear Gel and figured I could give it a shot.  I didn't expect it to work but at least I would feel like I was being proactive.

The packaging claims that it will 'visibly reduce spot size and redness in 4 hours. The seal helps hold the spot-fighting ingredients on the spot as it clears.'  It forms an invisible barrier to help protect spots and attacks them with Salicylic Acid 2%.  

Salicylic acid acts as an exoliant, and helps encourage the shedding of skin cells - which occurs less in acne-prone skin.  2% is the highest concentration of Salicylic acid which can be purchased over the counter.

As it is a chemical exfoliant, you may experience a slight burning sensation (if this persists, discontinue use) or dry, peeling skin (a good, oil-free moisturiser can sort that out).

The directions say to apply a drop of the gel onto spots morning and night, but if I'm not going anywhere, I will reapply every 4 hours or so, and it really does make a big difference in the size of my spots - breakouts that would usually last a few days to over a week now last 1-2 days.  

I do experience dryness and some flaking of the skin around the areas I apply it to, but I use a good water based moisturiser and Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and it usually gets back to normal pretty quickly.

One of my favourite things about the gel is that, because it creates an invisible barrier and dries pretty quickly, I can apply my makeup over the top and I'm still getting the benefits of the spot treatment when I'm out - I don't have to sit inside for 4 hours and wait to wash it off.

The packaging is great, as it comes in a little tube like a lipgloss - perfect for your makeup bag or handbag.  You get 12ml of product, and mine has lasted 3 months so far and doesn't look like it's set to run out any time soon.

The gel is currently on offer from 7 Day Cosmetics, at £2.45 down from £6.50, and I would highly recommend taking advantage of the deal.

It is also available from a variety of shops on ebay (check the seller's rating before purchasing!), for £3.74 on Amazon, for £5.37 at ChemistDirect or for £6 at Tesco.

There are a lot of Salicylic Acid products on the market, including face washes, scrubs, lotions and creams, but I feel that this is an excellent place to start.

If you try it, let me know what you think of it in the comments below!

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