Product Review | Skinclay White Clay Mask

Ciao ♥ Up until a year or two ago I never used to be particularly interested in facial skincare. I never quite understood the fascination or excitement surrounding the different types of products available (i.e. cleansers, exfoliators and serums), and so my collection of the sort was fairly minimal. Besides from moisturising my face daily with Simple's Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser, I didn't have a facial skincare routine in place that I carried out on a regular basis. This was partly due to not realising the importance of it all as I've always had pretty good skin. Thus, I never felt there was a need for me to be extra attentive to it as it was never something I struggled with; my skin is almost always clear as I rarely get spots (let's hope I haven't jinxed myself). However, about a year ago the area around my eyes became quite dry and sensitive. It took several weeks, and the trailing of a gazillion products to get rid of the dry skin, and all of the itchiness and flakiness that came along with it.

In a way it was a blessing in disguise as it's what kick-started off my skincare journey. Evidently, my collection of skincare products has definitely doubled, if not tripled, in size from what it was a year ago. I'm often on the lookout for new products so was rather intrigued when one of the lovely ladies at work mentioned the brand Skinclay. Skinclay is a newly founded brand who create natural face masks. It was established by the British model Alice Cornish who has impressively strutted her stuff on the catwalk for the likes of Jonathan Saunders, Tommy Hilfiger, Topshop and Rag & Bone.

There are three face masks to choose from depending on your skin type including: RED; great for normal, dull or tired skin, WHITE; great for dry, ageing or sensitive skin, and GREEN; great for oily, clogged or acne prone skin. I opted for the white clay mask as my skin can be quite sensitive and dry at the worst of times. If you're unsure about what skin type you have then head over to Skinclay's skin guide where you can identify which description best describes your skin.

        

A great thing about this product is that it's natural, chemical and preservative free. Each mask retails for the affordable price of £5 and are currently stocked via Skinclay’s website. These will also soon be available to purchase from Liberty so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. Furthermore, they're super easy and fun to use; simply add water to the powder form. Detailed instructions can be found below:

1) Remove spatula and pour the sachet content into a small mixing bowl.

2) Add three tablespoons of water into the mixing bowl.

3) Stir the mixture until you have a smooth consistency (add more water if your mask is too thick).

4) Apply your mask to a cleansed face and neck, avoiding the eye and mouth area. 

5) Leave the mask on for approx. 10 minutes.

6) Rinse thoroughly with warm water and pat dry.

After following these instructions and using this product, my skin felt extremely soft and nourished. I also noticed it really helped to enhance my natural complexion and did not irritate my skin in the slightest. This is definitely a product I would use again, but also one that I would recommend to y'all.

I''m also massively impressed with the packaging as it's fresh and pleasing to the eye. I particularly like the font of the brand's name and the selection of colours used. As bizarre as this may sound, this is of great importance to me as I'm a complete and utter sucker for packaging. Always have been, always will be. So much so that I feel I'm more likely to enjoy using a product if it appears that time and effort has gone into the packaging of it. Who else agrees?

Finally, make sure you head over to the Skinclay website for further information on this exciting new brand. Oh, and be be sure to remember that looking after your skin during your youth will contribute to younger looking skin in your older years ;)

If you enjoyed reading this review then make sure you check out my previous ones in which I spoke about the following skincare products: Elemis' Anti-Ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream. 

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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Product Review | Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Ciao ♥ How are you? I hope you all had a lovely weekend doing whatever it was you were doing. Hmm! Is it still acceptable to ask about your weekend now that it's Wednesday? (*scratches head hesitantly*) Oh well! I'm sure a lot of you had fun spooking it up on Saturday evening with it being Halloween and all. For those interested (not many I'm sure), I did the very opposite and spent my evening at home in my pjs. Oh, the fun.

Now that the greeting is out of the way, let's get down to some serious skincare business. I'm back today with a review on one of my go-to skincare products, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream.

 

Elizabeth Arden is a brand I've practically grown up with as my mum used to have quite a few of their fragrances; my favourite being Sunflowers which smells lovely. However, it was only a year or two ago that I became a lot more familiar with their extensive line of skincare products. Thank fudge as my lips are prone to drying out and cracking especially come autumn and winter. I've tried to prevent this from happening by using an array of products, from several different brands, including Blistex, Carmex, Chapstick, Nivea and Vaseline. You name it, I've tried it. Unfortunately, none of these led to any long-lasting effects meaning I was always on the lookout for something new, and something better. That was until I discovered this little gem.

This product comes in a 50ml tube, available in a fragrance-free version and can be used to do the following: "shape brows, revitalize shine, soothe dry hands and smooth cuticles and nails. Also for symptoms of chapping, peeling or flaking due to minor burns, sunburn, windburn, scrapes, abrasions or cracked lips". It also has an expiration date of 36 months which is almost unheard of in the life of a cosmetic or skincare product.

It's available from several different retailers both in-store and online. The price of it does vary depending on where you purchase it from. For instance, it usually retails for £26, as seen on the Elizabeth Arden, Boots, John Lewis and Debenhams website, but I've found it for less than half of that price (£11.65 to be exact) on allbeauty.com. This just happens to be one of my favourite websites ever as their prices are literally unbeatable. Kerching! Y'all can thank me later :)

For those who are still not keen on the price, keep in mind that I've had mine for six months now and there's still plenty of product left despite me applying a liberal amount, a few times a day. Overall, I feel it does a great job at ensuring my lips are kept moisturised and hydrated. Not surprising as this product was first created in 1930 and has been a success ever since. Need I say more?

What do you guys think? Does this sound like a product you'd be interested in? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comment box below.

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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Product Review | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Ciao ♥ It's been a hot minute or so since I came at you guys with a product review, which is a tad surprising, as I've really enjoyed using an array of products these past few months. In today's post I will be discussing a product you're likely to have heard of before, or even currently use, as it's constantly being raved about. It's none other than Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water.

Up until a few months ago, my skin used to be super sensitive. This meant I was always cautious as to what products I'd apply to my face, especially around my eye area, as I didn't want to cause any sort of reaction. Due to this sensitivity I was constantly on the hunt for a range of products that were not going to irritate my skin. This certainly proved to be a lot harder than I thought. The majority of products I tried out were not 'suitable for sensitive skin' despite claiming to be so as they'd cause my skin to flare up in red patches, become very itchy and leave me with a burning sensation. Not the most pleasant of experiences I tell you.

Thankfully, I can happily say (*wipes forehead*) that I've experienced none of the irritable-ness mentioned above when using this product. No siree! I'm sure this is massively helped by the fact it is fragrance free and cleanses your skin, lifting away any dirt. I'm also super impressed at how light this feels on my skin as I dislike lathering my face in rich substances. Furthermore, this comes in a generous bottle size of 400ml and retails for an affordable price of £4.99. Better yet, this product is currently on offer at Superdrug for the reduced price of £3.29 (click here to view/purchase).

Another great thing about this product is that you're able to remove impurities and make-up without rinsing. Yes, really. This is perfect if you're on the go and conveniently have their travel size bottle (125ml) at hand. Ooo! Did I mention it's non-oily? Nope. Well now you know :)

Finally, to those who are intrigued as to how I use this product... I apply a liberal amount of product onto three or four cotton pads ensuring that at least three-quarters of each pad is moist. I then gently rub the product into my skin in circular motions, until all traces of make-up is removed. This procedure is super quick and takes no more than two or three minutes. Please keep in mind that when it comes to foundation, I opt for a light-medium coverage. Thereby, what might be enough product for me might not be for you.

What do you guys use to remove your make-up? I'd also love to know if you guys enjoy reading these type of posts. If so, let me know in the comment box below so that I can produce similar content on a more regular basis.

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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