Review: Olay Essentials Refreshing Toner

'Olay's refreshing toner blended to be mild on skin for everyday cleansing.

The Essentials alcohol free formula, containing extracts of cucumber and aloe, effectively lifts away remaining traces of dirt and make up revitalising skin appearance without over drying.

The result? Simply clean, refreshed, beautiful skin.

Dermatologically tested.'

After watching countless skincare routine videos on YouTube and reading about the benefits of a proper cleanse/tone/moisturise skincare routine, I decided to give it a try.

I originally made some rosewater with the roses I got for Valentines Day, but I think they had artificial dye in them, as it turned out bright red.  I used it a couple of times but didn't trust it on my skin, and so I picked up an Olay one while I was out about a week ago.  I've been using it every morning before moisturising and every evening between cleansing and moisturising.

The difference I've seen in my skin already has amazed me.  It's not as dry and flakey, I've got no oily patches, and best of all, my blackheads on my nose and cheeks are gone, and I've had no new spots.

My skin is the clearest it's been in forever, and it feels much healthier.

All I do with it is squirt some onto a cotton wool pad, and smooth it over my face and neck, working from the middle outwards.  It lifts any dirt left over after cleaning out of your skin, and leaves you fresh and glowing.

It does contain parabens, and I am planning on buying some rose water when I get chance to compare the results, and hopefully replace this if it works well enough, but in the mean-time I am happy with this.  However, if Olay want to bring out a version of this with no parabens, I would use that forever.

The formula is suitable for all skin types, and is alcohol free, so you don't get that horrible tight feeling after you use it, it's just cool and refreshing.

The price for the amount you get is amazing - Boots have it at £2.99/200ml, but I bought it cheaper from Home Bargains - about £1.99 - you can also buy it for £1.99 from FragranceDirect.co.uk (excluding delivery).

I would definitely recommend this toner as a new addition to your skincare routine, and if you keep up your use, you will see results really quickly.

I'm in love with it, can you tell?

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How To Clean Makeup Brushes: Daily Clean

Makeup brushes aren't cheap, and they need looking after in order to keep their condition and to stop your makeup looking like you put it on with a regular paint brush. To keep them at their best, they should be sterilised every day after use and given a deep-clean once a week.

Brushes on a Budget 

Fräulein3°8  31 Pcs Brush Set (RRP. £21.90)

Daily Cleaning:

The daily brush wash I used was the Elf Daily Brush Cleaner honestly, because it wasn't very expensive and it works OK.  It's not the best, and it contains Methylparaben, so I've discontinued use of it.

Also, since I bought it, they've put the price up and the quantity down - I had the 250ml bottle and it cost around £3.75, which is now the price of a 50ml bottle. 

A cheaper alternative to this is to make your own:

200ml bottled water

50ml Isopropl Alcohol 70% (Rubbing Alcohol)

1/2 tbsp baby shampoo or moisturising shampoo

1/2 tbsp washing up liquid

1 tbsp spray on leave-in conditioner

Spray bottle (250ml+ capacity)

Slowly and gently mix the ingredients together, trying not to create too much lather.  

Funnel into spray bottle and label.

To clean the brushes, run some lukewarm water onto the ends of the bristles, and spray with the daily brush cleaner 1-2 times.  

Gently blot the brush on a paper towel until no more colour runs out.

Stand in a tall glass overnight to dry.  Brush guards optional.

Never lie brushes flat/ on their sides to dry.  Always dry with the bristles facing down.

Previous Post: Dermalogica Deals

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Dermalogica Deals

Since I got Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant in my November Glossybox, I have been a bit obsessed.  It was the first exfoliating product that actually worked for my skin.  The rest just left my skin feeling too tight for my face, with a horrible dry-shine.

So considering the miracle properties (to me anyway) of the Daily Microfoliant, I went on the hunt for more Dermalogica products... and saw the price.  My favourite product was RRP £38.80.  Not to be discouraged by this, I turned my bargain-hunter side on, and scoured the internet for the best Dermalogica deals I could find... which I will share with you now.  You lucky, lucky people.

Daily Microfoliant with two free gifts £29.60, BeautyFlash.co.uk

First off, I asked my mum to get me a Daily Microfoliant set for Christmas, I found the best deal on it at Beauty Flash.

£29.60 (RRP. £51.50) for a full size Daily Microfoliant (75g), and travel size Precleanse (30ml) and Gentle Cream Exfoliant (10ml).

That's less than the price of the Daily Microfoliant alone!





After trying both the new products I had from that set, and liking the results, I continued my search for Dermalogica deals, and one advert in particular kept on popping up at the side of my facebook - WhatsInMyHandbag.com were advertising the MEET DERMALOGICA KIT - Exclusive Try: Dermalogica's hero products for £9.50.  

Meet Dermalogica Kit £9.50, WhatsInMyHandbag.com

This kit includes travel size versions of Daily Microfoliant (13g), Special Cleansing Gel (50ml), Skin Smoothing Cream (22ml) and MultiVitamin Power Firm (5ml). 

Individually, these products cost £8.95 each, so you're paying less than 1/4 of the price.  Ever the cheapskate, I searched for discount codes and found WIMHLAUNCH which gives £5 off a £10 shop.  Of course, the kit costs £9.50, which doesn't qualify, but buy 2 and it comes to £14 instead of £19 - essentially £71.60 of products for £14, with super fast delivery too, about 2 days from placing the order.

Finally, Pure-Beauty.co.uk offer 5 free samples (of your choice) of dermalogica products with every £10 spend.  They also offer gift cards with instant email delivery (check your spam box, mine got sent there!)

I got sneaky about it and maximised my samples by first buying a £10 giftcard and selecting my 5 free samples, then spending the giftcard on the product I actually wanted (Bedtime For Breakouts £11.95) with another 5 free samples for that one.

The great thing about Pure-Beauty.co.uk is that you earn reward points, which are instantly redeemable as cash against purchases, at a rate of 1 point per £1 spent.  However, I spent £11-something, and have had 56 points so far - 22 redeemed and 34 still available, so there must be a bonus for signing up and placing your first order.

I definitely recommend the giftcard method, stretch your money and get free samples of the products you want to try next - they're not huge samples but enough for you to give them a proper try over a few days.

Don't forget to select your 5 samples and add them to your basket before you check out!


I hope this helped anyone looking for a deal on Dermalogica products, and if anyone has any more to add, feel free to leave details in a comment below!

Related Post:  Skincare Routine

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Skincare Routine

Like I said in my last post, I have sensitive skin with hormonal acne.  Pretty sexy.  So I do what I can to disguise the mess it gets into and that involves mainly washing, exfoliating and camouflaging.  The first two, I will talk about now.  Camouflage later.

I received this gift set for Christmas, after trying Daily Microfoliant from my Glossybox a couple of months ago and falling in love.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 75g with two free gifts
RRP £30.80




When I wake up I wash my face with Dermalogica Pre-cleanse - I massage a few drops into my (dry) face and then add a bit of water and massage some more, in small circles.  Then rinse.

'This plant-based cleansing oil, fortified with Olive and Kukui oils, thoroughly melts layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual skin products that build-up during the day.' 


Dermalogica Precleanse
RRP £31.50/150ml

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 

RRP £38.50/75g

Next, I use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, 1/2 a tsp onto very wet hands, rub into a thick paste and then rub onto a dry face, again in small circles.  I do this for about 2 minutes, making sure I get every single mm of my face and neck scrubbed, and then rinse it off.

'A unique, Rice-based enzyme powder that activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes to smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal.  The unique Skin Brightening Complex of Bearberry, Aspergillus, Grapefruit and Liquorice helps to balance uneven skin pigmentation.  A super-soothing blend of Green Tea, Ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal calms inflammation, leaving the skin extraordinarily clear and refreshed. Gentle enough to use on a daily basis.'

My face now feels squeaky clean and lovely but very very dry - moisturiser.  I have tried SO MANY moisturisers - from cheap own-brands to chemist brands to more commonly recommended ones to high-end ones - and the only one I've found that doesn't make my skin greasy or dry it out more or break me out is this one, from ASDA's Skin System range - the Day Cream with SPF 15 and Co-enzyme Q10.

Asda Skin System Day Cream SPF15 

RRP £3.00/50ml

'Specially developed for 20 skin. Anti-oxidant youth blend. Fights first signs of ageing. Collagen damage protection. Dermatologically tested. Suitable for vegetarians. Q10 day cream SPF15 About this Product: Q10 Day Cream with SPF15 has been formulated to help prevent the first signs of ageing. Coenzyme Q10 protects against collagen damage and works to keep the skin firm. An anti-oxidant blend of pomegranate, cranberry and green tea helps to protect skin from free radicals, while rosehip oil moisturises and nourishes the skin. Asda is against animal testing & funds research into alternatives.'

It is my miracle cream.  I use a small amount every morning (and night, I'm not keen on the night cream they have) and it keeps me perfectly moisturised ALL day.  Looks like they've changed the packaging now, but the ingredients are the same.  And it only costs £3 so that makes me happy.

At night I pretty much repeat this step by step, the only difference being that I remove my makeup first with Witch Cleansing and Toning Makeup Remover Wipes.  I feel like they just give an added protection against overnight spots and they do a pretty good job of removing my eye makeup, too - so that's a bonus.  I got them from Tesco on a whim as they were the same price as Tesco own-brand sensitive wipes which I used previously.

'Witch Cleansing and Toning Wipes quickly remove make up and dirt to reveal cleansed, tingling skin that feels soft and supple.  Cleans skin and helps tighten pores.  For more than 40 years, Witch has used nature's clever ingredient Witch Hazel. It naturally cleanses, tones and soothes, leaving your skin perfectly balanced, soft and healthy looking.'

Witch Cleansing and Toning WipesRRP £1.99

This pretty much keeps my skin in check, every now and again I'll mix it up - I just got Dermalogica's Bedtime for Breakouts, so I'll start using that tonight and see if that makes any difference, whack a review on here when I see any change.

So that's my skincare routine as of the start of Jan 2012 :)

Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

Previous Post: Intro
Next Post: Everyday Makeup Products: Primers

Intro

First post. Okay, here goes nothing...

I spend most of my free time on YouTube watching makeup gurus, collecting little tips and trying them out - and never really going anywhere or doing anything where people will notice my face and think 'My, how lovely that contouring looks', or 'Well, she certainly has defined her crease well with that eye look'.  So I figured, seeing as it is actually something I enjoy, why not write about it?   It can't hurt, right?

Asking a blogger page rhetorical questions...  And so it begins.

So I'll give you the LD on my face, so you can get an idea of what I'm working with here.  I have sensitive, pale skin, with hormonal acne every few weeks.  I sound hot, don't I?

I don't have any photos of me makeup-less yet, but I'll be sure to add some in when I get round to taking them.  In the meantime, here's one of me with low-coverage makeup from the other day.

You can see a couple of blemishes (the piece of hair hanging down is strategically covering the one bad one I have right now) but nothing too major.

You can also see I have pretty dark circles under my eyes - my sleep routine is messed up right now! Good news for the concealer industry.





I'll do a foundation routine and probably give a few of my favourite products a review, and then who knows, I might actually get some looks on here.

Maybe.


Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

Next Post: Skincare Routine