Tuesday 25 February 2014

The best beauty products for blemishes


Blemishes and breakouts aren’t just for teenage skin; in fact it’s quite common for you to still get them in your 20s, 30s and even your 40s.

Those blasted spots can appear out of nowhere, in fact if you’re like me they tend to pop up just before a planned event. Birthday’s, weddings, you name it; I’m guaranteed to be accompanied by a little friend.

Stress and changes in our hormones are two of the most common attributes, but there are other lifestyle factors that could be the cause too. A bad diet and even a bad environment are just two of many. But what products help control these wicked things? Here’s my pick of the best…

Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask
(Firstly, I apologise for no image. My brain clearly wasn't engaging that day! However...) When I’m having a bad time with my skin I always rely on this fantastic product from Origins. The Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask is applied to damp skin, left for 10 minutes to set and then washed off with warm water, leaving super fresh, clean skin. The great thing about this product is it really gives your skin a fresh feeling.

The price is a little more expensive compared to a high street brand, but 100ml goes a long way. I bought mine just before summer and I’m still not even half way through yet. I would certainly recommend this product to anyone who suffers from the occasional break out – it works wonders for me! Available from Origins £22/100ml.

La Roche-Posay Efaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector
I recently purchased this product after coming out in some serious breakouts on my chin and forehead. After browsing many blogs I came across The Black Pearl written by Sandra. In this particular post (I’ve included a link, because it’s a very good read) Sandra mentioned this product and how fantastic it was at as a quick fix. So I went out and bought it.

After spending 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get the product out of the tube (turns out I’d unscrewed the nozzle by mistake!) I applied the cream sparingly and within a couple of days, my blemishes had almost disappeared. New blemishes were cut short of their developing time too, which I was more than impressed with.

This blemish cream by La Roche-Posay is a brilliant quick fix product. The tube is quite small but considering how little of the product you use, it has potential to last a heck of a long time. I would most definitely recommend this product to anyone who suffers from the odd breakout. Available from Boots £7.12/15ml.


Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream
This age-old product has been used by millions of mums for years and although it was originally designed for infants, it has developed itself into the perfect spot fighting product. The reason for this? It contains a cocktail of ingredients that protect the skin and promote skin healing - perfect for nappy rash and nasty blemishes!

With a mix of Benzyl Alcohol, a local anaesthetic to help ease the pain and irritation, Zinc Oxide to contract and dry out the skin helping the pores close and Benzyl Benzoate and Benzyl Cinnamate - an ancient antiseptic agent that helps with the healing process of spots, there's no surprise it works wonders for blemished skin.

When I have a particularly nasty under-the-skin spot, I apply Sudocrem to it overnight. Usually by morning it's mostly toned down but slightly visible. But be careful, Sudocrem isn't for everyone. Some people find that it brings them out in more spots, so only make sure you apply to the blemished area with clean hands. Available from Boots £2.59/125g.


Super Facialist by Una Brenann Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil
Sometimes breakouts happen because skin isn't cleansed properly and I'm 100% guilty of this. Cleansing oils can do great things for skin and this one in particular is perfect for reviving skin. Infused with Vitamin C and nourishing olive, grapeseed and rosehip oil to remove daily impurities, once in contact with water it dissolves into a light milky texture which cleanses skin right down to the core.

When my skin is feeling particularly grubby I love to use this product as a real pick-me-up, particularly at the end of a long working day. The Super Facialist by Una Brenann Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil is available from www.superfacialist.co.uk £10.99/200ml.


Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner
In order to stop more spots from developing, I like to use a toner after removing my make-up, once in the morning and again in the evening. This Soothing Facial Toner by Simple is great for sensitive skin and contains lots of goodness to protect your skin.What I also love about this product is that it helps remove dirt and grime that your make-up remover might have missed and it's super refreshing in the morning too. Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner is available from Boots £2.99/200ml.

What products do you recommend for blemishes? I would love to hear your suggestions.

Wednesday 12 February 2014

The Mascara Monologues: Benefit They're Real Mascara

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

The hype for this product a couple of months ago was incredible. Not only did I see it advertised everywhere, but every beauty blogger in the blogosphere was reviewing it. But now it’s my turn.

I was bought this product for Christmas, as a gift from my sister after she’d discovered it a month earlier. I've always loved Benefit products the sleek and quirky designs, they're exciting and look great. But as much as it pains me to say, I was a little bit disappointed by this mascara.

Ill start with a positive and trust me, there are plenty! Regular readers of Jade's beauty blog will know how much I appreciate a plastic mascara wand. What makes this one slightly different from the rest is that it combines two wands in one - a standard brush with a slightly rounder end to curl and separate the lashes. Despite Benefit claiming that the wand curls and separates, for me it did the opposite. I found the product slightly too clumpy and not near as 'natural' as other, cheaper mascaras that I have used. But maybe this is down to how heavy the finished product is causing it to clump rather than separate.

Aside from the wand, I was really impressed with the staying power of there product. In fact, it's better than any other mascara I've used before. Benefit claim that the mascara won't smudge or dry out and they are 100% spot on. Despite this, removing the mascara takes some welly! No matter how often I wash and wipe my eyelashes, it takes a good couple of goes before it's gone. 

For me, Benefit's They're Real Mascara was a little bit hit and miss. If the product didn't clump as much then I would definitely re-purchase over and over again. Yet because of this, I'm not sure I could justify the price tag for a product I wouldn't be overly happy with. I'm not saying I wouldn't ever use it again, but it certainly wouldn't be my go-to mascara. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara is available for £19.50/8.5g from www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Sunday 2 February 2014

My January favourites

Back before I lost my blogging mojo I would give a round-up of my favourite beauty products that I'd been using that month. I’m not quite sure why I stopped, but I’ve decided to give it a whirl again. So here’s a quick recap of the products I’ve loved throughout January.
 
 
Soap & Glory Clean on Me Bath & Shower Gel
I received this gigantic product for Christmas as part of a gorgeous gift set from my best friend and I've not stopped using it since. I shower everyday and I'm not even a quarter way through yet - it really is huge!
 
Every beauty junkie knows that Soap & Glory products smell delicious and this product follows the same suit. It's floral, pink and girly, what more could a girl want? You can read my full review here.
 
Benefit Erase Paste
This miniature product was a sneaky treat for myself from Feel Unique a couple of months ago and it is ever so slowly replacing my trusty L'Oreal Touché Magique Concealer - my go-to concealer that I never thought I'd change.

It has taken me a little while to get used to the consistency of the concealer, as I have always been more comfortable using a lighter, creamier product. But after seeing how fantastic the coverage was, it has soon transformed itself into a real staple in my daily make-up routine. Not only does the Erase Paste completely cover blemishes and pesky fine lines I've recently discovered (!) but it has real staying power too. Usually a product as thick as this runs away from my face, but so far it has passed the test with flying colours. Now the real test will be in the summer!

Toni & Guy Hair Meets Wardrobe Shine Gloss Serum
Hair products have featured quite heavily on my blog recently and maybe it’s because of the weather. The damp, wet weather wreaks havoc on my hair causing a sleek and straightened look to turn into a frizzy mess within a matter of minutes. That was until I discovered this beauty in my Glossybox a couple of months ago.
 
I've always assumed serum was to be used as a way of protecting hair before styling, but this super lightweight formula controls frizz, smoothing flyaways and giving the illusion of a sleeker look that even Jen Aniston would be envious of.

The Shine Gloss Serum by Toni & Guy has soon turned into one of my daily essentials and a recommend must have purchase for the damper, winter months.

Barry M Matte Nail Polish
After seeing one of my closet friends post a picture of her matte black nails on Instagram, I can pretty much say I fell in love. I love how chic a good black nail polish looks and for me matte trumps gloss any day. The staying power of Barry M polishes can be a bit hit and miss but after 3 days there's not a chip in sight and that's without a top coat!

What have been your favourite products you've used during January? Can you recommend any? I'd love to see your links below.
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