Recent skin care additions including Elemis, Bioderma, GLAMGLOW and TheBody Shop

I have been absolutely loving my skin care recently. Although let's be real, I've always loved skin care. I've been chopping and changing it up and I've tried out some right gems. In fact, I have another skin care post coming very soon - crazy! Although don't worry, I have been using every item for a prolonged period of time. This post has been a long time coming...

When it comes to skin care, I really rate Elemis as a brand. These three Elemis newbies aren't half brilliant. In terms of diminishing fine lines, banishing acne or fading scarring well, they won't do that. But what they will do is ensure your skin is kept balanced and hydrated throughout the day - and night. I use the Hydra-Boost Day Cream* more than the Hydra-Balance Day Cream* because although my skin is combination, it can become extremely parched and thirsty as the day goes on. It balances my skin beautifully and the gel-like formula makes my skin feel gorgeously soft. As for the Hydra-Nourish Night Cream*; it's fabulous. I wake up with glowing skin that's ready to face the day. No complaints. 

As I mentioned above, my skin easily becomes dehydrated and the new GLAMGLOW THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment* has become a necessity in my skin care routine. I slather a generous layer on my skin every Tuesday evening and my skin soon drinks it up. I find that I don't have to wipe off any excess as it melts away into my skin and leaves it nourished. Pricey, yes but a product I'd have no problem repurchasing. 

Throughout the summer months, the Bioderma Sebium Mat Moisturising Mattifying Fluid* became my go-to day time moisturiser. As I've mentioned, my skin is combination so when the sun is at its hottest it tends to easily get oily throughout the day. This gel-like moisturiser instantly mattifies the skin yet leaves it feel hydrated. It also uses lots of fancy ingredients to help prevent blocked pores, speed up cellular renewal and tighten the pores. Oh, and did I mention that it's unbelievably lightweight on the skin?

Although The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask* is branded as a face mask, I use it as an intense night time moisturiser. Aloe is great for calming the skin so personally I love using it when I have a breakout. The following morning, redness has toned down and my skin is left feeling beautifully soft and hydrated. Sticking with the aloe theme; The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defence* is one that I've been loving. It doesn't really have an instant effect but then again, I wouldn't expect an eye cream to - prevention is better than cure after all. This eye cream is lightweight and cool and almost brightens the eye area. I love the fact that it's a pump bottle which means application is quick and easy. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser* has quickly become my everyday primer and it's made me more determined to try out the store's Instablur. This primer smooths over the skin and leaves it nicely matte and prepared for make up. In terms of pores, I tap a bit of product over them and it instantly fills them on and leaves my skin look - almost - flawless. I wouldn't recommend this if you're not a tea tree scent fan though - it's quite prominent.

One that I'm still not so sure of is The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make Up Remover.* Don't get me wrong, it does everything it says it should but I do think that when it's full priced, it's quite expensive compared to a lot of similar eye make up removers out there. It is gentle, it does melt away eye make up and it does leave the surrounding skin feeling soft.

I found out which products best suited my skin by using The Body Shop's Skin Diagnostic Tool which is free, quick and easy to use. It asks you a number of questions and then works out which cleanser, toner, moisturiser, exfoliator, serum and special treatments are better for your skin type and concerns. Genius. I wish every brand did something like this as it's a fabulous way to discover suitable products.

Phew, that was a long 'en! What skin care products have you been loving recently?

*PR Sample

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SKIN CARE | The dry skin saviours

In case you didn't know, I was prescribed Epiduo for my spots and you can find out more about that here. It's a wonderful gel and since using it, my skin has cleared up dramatically. However because it's so strong, dry skin is inevitable. I've said many times before that I'd rather have skin like an oil slick than a desert but luckily, there are some wonderful skin care products out there that have definitely helped my now scaly skin.

For me, it's weird using a hydrating serum and moisturiser. Ever since I started my skin care routine I've been using products aimed at blemished/combination skin. The HYDRA N°1 Serum and Cream are such a pleasure to use. They're expensive yes, but they do the job perfectly and my skin absolutely adores them. Both of the products use Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, Olive Phytosqualane, Imperata Cylindrica, Organic Silicon and Vitamins A, C and E.

Yon-Ka HYDRA N°1 Serum* - £57

Aimed at all skin types, this gel-cream serum contains 95% natural ingredients and is applied underneath the Cream to boost its properties. Although I've never tried the Hydraluron Moisture Booster, I imagine that they're both similar in terms of what they do. They don't moisturise the skin any further but instead, they boost moisturisers and hydrate the skin further. This serum is very lightweight so it feels comfortable on the skin. Immediately, it calms down my inflamed skin and when the Cream is used without the Serum, I've found that isn't as potent or hydrating.

Yon-Ka HYDRA N°1 Cream* - £49

When I first received this Cream, my skin was combination and I used to use it as a night time moisturiser as it's quickly absorbed and feels light on the skin. However now, I use it during the day and at night time. With shea butter and grape seed oil, this Cream repairs and soothes the skin while moisturising it. It makes the skin soft and comfortable, immediately relieving any signs of dryness. It smells very natural and sinks into the skin beautifully leaving behind skin that feels like velvet. It's comfortable and like the serum, relieves and calms the skin down.

Bioderma Hydrabio Mask* - £14.50

A good face mask can really change the way your skin looks and feels. I've been using this one by Bioderma for a good few weeks now and I've fallen head over heels in love with it. The mask has been formulated with Glycerine and Xylitol to boost moisture levels and Aquagenium biological complex which retrains the skin to stimulate its own ability to generate and maintain essential moisture levels - fancy, ey? After cleansing my skin, it feels tight and dry and it can end up being quite painful. A thick layer of the Hydrabio Mask soon sorts this out. To start with, I used this every day after cleansing but now, I use it a couple of times a week when my skin is particularly irritated. After 10 minutes, it's recommended that you remove any excess with a cotton pad however, my skin tends to have completely lapped the mask up so for me, there's no need to. At £14.50, it's an absolute bargain and if you do suffer with irritated or dehydrated skin, I highly recommend popping this into your shopping basket.

What skin care products do you use to combat dry skin? Have you tried any of the above?
*PR Sample

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SKINCARE | Bioderma Sebium H20

After taking part in the Escentual Micellar Blind Trial and changing my opinion on the ever-so famous micellar waters, I decided to dip my toes further into the water and try out this variation from the blogger favourite brand - Bioderma. The Bioderma Sebium H20* is part of the new Sebium range which has been designed for acne-prone and combination skin. If you didn't already know, my skin is combination and gets oilier throughout the day. I am prone to spots as well so I desperately need products that balance my skin and soothes it without breaking me out.

Fortunately, this micellar water has been formulated to target combination or oily skin. It contains a unique patented sebo-correcting complex which regulates the quality of sebum. The formula is enriched with purifying active ingredients that gently cleanse the skin without drying it out and regulating the production of oil. Sounds very scientific doesn't it? I've been using this a lot - so much that I'm almost out so I'm cutting down my usage. It's like an addiction. Especially the smell as it's nice, clean and fresh. It quickly dissolves make up (even waterproof) without drying the skin out or making it oily. It's very gentle to use and isn't even painful when you accidently get it in your eye - I'm guilty of being so careless. Although I don't use this as my only cleanse, it makes the perfect first step for a double cleanse routine to remove make up and prepare it for further cleansing.

I've fallen head over heels in love with this product and I most certainly prefer it to the original Bioderma as it suits my skin type more. The water is refreshing, soothing and does the job perfectly. Nowadays, Bioderma is readily available in the UK and you can buy it here where it retails for £4.50 and £9.99 - not a bad price at all.

Have you tried the cult favourite Bioderma? What are your thoughts on the product? Have you tried this oily skin version?

*PR Sample

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The Escentual Micellar Blind Trial results

You may remember this post from a few months ago. I first wrote about the Escentual Micellar Blind Trial in May and after trialling the waters and reporting my thoughts back to Escentual, the results have been published. You read the full results here but I thought that I'd also give you all a little run down on my thoughts - more in depth reviews if you'd like.

A: Dior's Instant Cleansing Water £20.40

I enjoyed using this cleansing water and it's something that I would use again. Its cleansing power was okay however it took three cotton pads to remove the bulk of my make up. If you're an avid waterproof eye make up user though, I'd highly recommend this as it removed stubborn eye make up lovely. Texture wise, it felt nice on the skin and really cooled and calmed it down. I wouldn't say that this cleansing water was moisturising but it definitely balanced my skin out.

Branded "the divine one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.8/5

B: NUXE's Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals £14.50

This was definitely the best cleansing water when it came to eye make up. It was one of the best ones I've ever used and it removed eye make up instantly. It felt nice on the skin but the smell really put me off - I hate the scent of roses. It was however, very moisturising and my skin felt beautifully soft afterwards. Despite the scent, this is something that I'd considering repurchasing and it removes make up wonderfully.
Branded "the calming one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.6/5

C: Caudalie's Make Up Remover Cleansing Water £8.10 - £13.50

To be quite honest, I didn't really have an opinion on this. I thought it was okay but it wasn't spectacular in anyway. It was nice to use but it didn't blow me away. However, I didn't hate it and it didn't strip my skin. I wouldn't repurchase it as I don't believe that it did much for my skin. It smelt beautiful though!
Branded "the sensuous one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.1/5

D: Avene's Eau Thermale Micellar Lotion - Cleanser and Make Up Remover £11.25

I was heartbroken to find out that this was by Avene. I love Avene and I usually find their products very pleasant to use but this one was awful. It's good at removing eye make up but it stung my eyes badly. It was very drying on my skin and it smelt extremely alcoholic. I have combination skin but after using this, I had to switch to hydrating products for a few days as it completely stripped my skin.
Branded "the soothing one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.9/5

E: La Roche-Posay's Physiological Micellar Solution £10.20

This was awful at removing make up and it took forever. On the other hand though, it would make a lovely toner as it felt cooling and calming on the skin. The smell was very fresh and it balanced the skin nicely. After using the Avene Micellar Lotion, this calmed my skin down excessively so as a toner, it's perfect.
Branded "the radiant one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.2/5

F: Bioderma's Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution £4.50 - £14.50

I definitely noticed that this one was Bioderma as soon as I used it despite never trying the product myself. It's a blogger favourite and I can definitely see why. It balanced my skin nicely and removed my make up efficiently. It didn't irritate my skin in anyway and it's definitely something that I would repurchase. In fact, I'm trying out their oily skin version right now!
Branded "the amazing one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.5/5

G: Vichy's Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Water £9.55

My absolute favourite! This was a pleasure to use and it removed my make up perfectly. It didn't spread the make up around the face but dissolved it instead. It cooled and calmed my skin and left it feeling beautifully soft. I really, really love this product and I'm glad that it's one of the cheaper ones as it means that it's affordable to all. Vichy are really doing it for me at the moment - such a lovely brand.
Branded "the sensitive one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.3/5

Before this trial, I'd never tried out a micellar water. In fact, despite never trying them for myself, I really didn't like them. Although I'm a big lover of the double cleanse, I'm a cleansing oil fan but micellar waters definitely come in handy when you want to remove your make up quickly. A couple of sweeps over the skin (with certain micellar waters) and your make up has been dissolved and your skin has been balanced. Think of them as a nicer alternative to face wipes.

What's your favourite micellar water? Have you tried any of the above?
*all bottles were sent to me free of charge however, until a few days ago, I had no idea which micellar waters were in which bottle
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