Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Renew Cleansing Oil, £10.99 for 200ml.
It's no secret how much I love and trust the Super Facialist by Una Brennan range, specifically the Tea Flower products designed to combat combination and oily skins. I've had good experiences with both the Foaming cleanser and the mattifying moisturiser (I've gone through several tubes of this myself and also carry it in my makeup kit) so when I saw a product that I hadn't spotted before, I had to give it a go.
I am a cleansing oil newbie, and I haven't been disappointed, infact I'd say I am pretty much converted and will be seeking to use them more. Many of you who have oily or combination skin similar to mine might have been worried or put off by the word 'oil', sending you into panic with visions of greasy skin and clogged oily pores, however with the cold weather change setting in, it's important to maintain and lock as much good moisture into your skin as possible, and using a harsh or foaming cleanser is probably not the way to achieve this (though of course there are exceptions).
This cleansing oil lathers a little, into a soft layer of small bubbles when massaged onto the face with warm water. It rinses off easily and doesn't leave a greasy film behind, which is what I was most concerned would happen. Alas, it doesn't! In the evenings I double cleanse with this and my skin is left feeling soft and nourished, not dry or tight. It has quite an overwhelming scent, sort of citrusy, though my fiance did insist the other night that I smelt of oranges. Either way, it's pretty fruity. My skin is never perfect (I'm hoping my new Clarisonic Mia 2 will change this) but this cleanser has certainly calmed my, at times, irritated and sore skin and seems to balance my oily t-zone. It hasn't tightened my pores, which is one of the reasons I like her foaming Tea Flower cleanser, however I reckon they could make a pretty sweet duo. It is gentle, and something I would recommend to all skin types.
As with all of the Una Brennan range, it is free from nasty ingredients such as mineral oil and parabens. The majority of my skincare regime is completely free of these ingredients generally, I have absolutely no desire to go out and buy a £40 Clarins moisturiser bursting with the stuff. This one contains lots of seed oil extracts- sunflower & olive along with more exciting passionfruit, cucumber and rosehip.
PS I've been absent again. Thankyou for putting up with me and for continuing to read my blog, I spent a few weeks back and forth to London (makeup lyf- assisting on a very exciting campaign that I will tell you more about on its release) and then been ill for a week and a half inbetween which has been boring as hell. i.e. not ideal circumstances for blogging, but I am feeling better and looking forward to sharing more stuff with you over the coming weeks!
Thanks for reading,
E.
£10.95 for 100ml.
It's no secret that I have been endeavouring to use more and more natural, cruelty free and organic skincare products. It's an interesting process, with some good and bad surprises along the way! I don't think that my face will ever be 100% cruelty free but I am a believer that every bit makes a difference.
I found this in my local independant health food shop and thought I'd give it a go. At just over a tenner it is good value for money in terms of amount of product you get, not cheap yet not expensive- a happy middleground in terms of price. Affordable.
The term 'foaming face wash' had me assuming that the product would foam up, once massaged into the face with water. Infact, this product comes out of the dispenser as foam, something I've not had to work with before! I found this initially, and still, quite disappointing. I would much rather this came out in liquid form and foamed up once wet as it would feel like a more thorough cleanse. It also made me worry I would experience tightness or dryness in my skin, as foaming washes are often famed for.
I've been using this for both my morning and evening cleanse for about three weeks and not noticed any negative side effects. I haven't experienced dryness, tightness that I had worried about. My skin feels balanced and looks healthy, I've had the odd hormonal induced spot here and there but nothing severe. It does a good job at removing any left over makeup that I have missed with my micellar water, though I wouldn't advise using this as your soul makeup remover as it does struggle a little with mascara.
Getting used to the foam has been quite a strain, as at times I feel the product didn't coat my face enough. The cleanse just didn't feel indepth or thorough, which took away from the enjoyable experience that I normally find cleansing to be. However it must be doing a good job, as I said before- my skin feels balanced and I've not experienced any nasty outbreaks or problems.
This cleanser claims to be suitable for all skin types (though I would suggest it would be best for combination or oily skin types due to it's foam consistency), it contains 96% organic ingredients, many of them fair trade. It is worth noting that it contains salicylic acid- a favourite of mine for clearing out blocked pores. It's is alcohol and soap free, therefore ideal for sensitive skin, the product is not tested on animals and does not contain any nasties such as SLS (unusual for a foaming product), parabens, lanolin etc and last but not least they donate 10% of their profits to charity. Talk about ethical! Perfect for anyone concerned about using harsh chemicals in their skincare, vegans/vegetarians, or who favour a foam for their face wash.
This isn't and won't be my 'holy grail' cleanser, there are many more on the market for me to discover and test. That said, I would recommend this. The ingredients and the company ethos is fantastic and faultless. The brand 'Green People' have all to offer; including toothpaste, a cosmetics range and lovely products to cater especially for babies and children. I will definitely be looking into them more in the future, but I don't think that I'll repurchase this particular product.
Thanks for reading,
E.
Illamasqua Hydra Veil, £27 for 30ml.
When I first heard about Hydra Veil I thought it was a very daring move for a colour brand like Illamasqua to release something with a rather large nod to skincare. They market it as a hydrating fluid with it's high content of hyaluronic acid, however for me it works fantastically as a primer.
HydraVeil smoothes out my skin, it isn't full of silica and it doesn't feel like a thick, heavy paste like other primers that I have used in the past. It prolongs the wear of my foundation by 2-3 hours than if I wear it without. Even on high heat days, it performs well. I use it regularly on clients and models alike because it has no SPF so benefits the photography, it also seems to suit all skin types and help the foundation apply as smoothly as possible.
I don't notice any skin care benefits, I don't even notice the 'flood of hydration' that Illamasqua describe, rather the finish is actually quite sticky which I am sure helps adhere the foundation. Expecting my skin to look dewy and refreshed, it actually makes the finish of my foundation quite matte.
It's a very unique consistency. A wobbly jelly in the pot it smoothes to a more liquid finish when being massaged into the skin. No matter how many times you stir the product, it always settles back down into a smooth, ice like finish in the end.
The packaging lets the product down. It isn't very nice to look at, it's a bulky black cauldron and the 'Illamasqua' branding rubbed off after about three uses. There's a flip lid underneath the main screw lid, and this has snapped off and won't go back on. It's a pretty integral part of the design as it protects the jelly from any dust etc. It's really disappointing because I have over half of the product left. These are the sort of elements that should have been tested thoroughly before a product release, it seems rushed and the packaging would definitely benefit from a redesign.
While primers often get forgotten in my daily routine more often that not, I do use this product in my kit on the regular. It's hard to say right now whether I'll repurchase or try something else, at £27 it deserves to have sturdier or more aesthetically pleasing packaging!
Thanks for reading,
E.
Etat Pur Express Purifying Mask, £7.50 for 50ml.
I won a couple of products quite a while ago in Sandra's Giveaway. They were both from Etat Pur, a brand I hadn't previously used, but both I have enjoyed using so much.
The mask uses white clay and is therefore white in colour with a fairly thick texture. Clay based masks are great for drawing out any impurities and clearing the skin, and that is exactly what this mask claims to do, along with creating a fresh and radiant complexion.
I find this mask much more comfortable to wear than the other clay masks I own. It does dry and consequently set, but doesn't feel too heavy. I once had it on for hours, I was pottering around the house and completely forgot it was still there until I looked in the mirror! The instructions state that this only has to be left on for 5 minutes, hence the 'express' in it's name, but as always a like to leave it on a little longer to ensure maximum results (normally half an hour to 45 minutes if I can.)
One thing I really notice is how soft and plump my skin feels afterwards. It doesn't feel dry or tight, like my skin does feel after many other clay based masks. It really does seem like it has worked with the balance of my skin rather than stripping it completely, so I would therefore recommend it for sensitive skins too.
The main factor I really noticed when looking on the Etat Pur website is the value for money. For the quality I have noticed with the products, the price point is actually very affordable. This mask costs only £7.50 and the micellar cleansing water Sandra also sent me is £7.40 in comparison to the La Roche-Posay I am currently using which is about £11 in Boots.
Check out Etat Pur, I know I will definitely be buying from them in the near future as they have surpassed my expectations!
Thanks for reading,
E.
Super Facialist By Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Purifying Cleansing Wash, £7.99 for 150ml.
Super Facialist By Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Mattifying Moisturiser, £12.99 for 75ml.
I have a combination skin type- my skin is fairly normal but with an oily t-zone with blocked and enlarged pores on my nose and a little on my cheeks. I am prone to the odd blemish and my skin sometimes feels a little sensitive. I saw that Pampered Prince had reviewed a few products from the Una Brennan Super Facialist range, he seems to have a similar skin type to myself and while I had seen the range in Boots I hadn't taken much notice, I made a mental note to look at them in more detail next time I was there. In the same week Jess from Spoiltface recommended I try some products with salicylic acid in as it is effective at clearing pores and maintaining fresh looking skin. On closer inspection I noticed there was salicylic acid in the Super Facialist Tea Flower range. Perfect, I thought, I'll defnitely give these products a go...
Purifying Cleansing Wash:
My love for this cleanser has grown slowly. When I first used it, it seemed so thorough that I was worried it would be too harsh. My skin went red and was squeaky it was so clean! I perservered and saw results within the week, after using it twice a day the squeakiness and redness stopped happening. Applied to a dry face and thoroughly massaged in, it really has cleared out my pores a great amount. Not completely, but significantly. My skin has developed less spots than usual despite me leading a hectic and unhealthy lifestyle the past few weeks. The cleanser is a clear gel that foams up and I find that removing it with a hot cloth or flannel keeps my skin looking fresh. It removes any excess makeup gently, too. I have already bought a new one.
Mattifying Moisturiser:
I loved this moisturiser from first use. I was wary of a moisturiser that claimed to be mattifying but it is one I have fallen for and really enjoy using. It's a fairly light lotion that absorbs into my skin so quickly in comparison to other moisturisers that can feel like they are sitting on my skin for an absolute age before they soak in, and it doesn't leave a residue behind either. Similarly to the cleanser it contains salicylic acid, my skin has become more controlled, it feels more balanced and as said above, I have been a bit less spotty. Despite how light it seems, it is enough nourishment and hydration for my skin, I have experienced absolutely no dryness this winter. It creates a lovely smooth base for my makeup to go on top of and I have been known to apply two layers of it because I love it so much (and probably because I am deceived by it's mattifying properties). I have been using this as my day cream and the only negative I can give this is that it doesn't contain SPF.
Overall I have been really impressed by both products, they're fantastic value for money and great if you are on a budget and/or suffering from oily skin, breakouts or blocked pores. They're also SLS and paraben free.
You can buy this range from Boots, I got mine on a 1/3 off and I know they have recently been half price on the website so keep an eyeout for any other offers.
P.S. I hope all of you had a fantastic christmas and got some lovely presents and quality family time. We had a relaxed day, I cooked an EPIC roast dinner (8 different veg dishes!) and we drank Baileys all day. Ben spoiled me rotten with a new camera and some beauty bits that he must have read off my 'Wish List' tab!
Unless the product is tester sized, I don't review skincare until I have been using it for a month. I feel this gives me enough time for me to develop an honest opinion and to showcase any noticeable results.
