New In / La Roche-Posay Effaclar 3-Step Anti-Blemish System

La Roche-Posay Effaclar 3-Step Anti-Blemish System* is one of the most exciting new launches for Autumn 2014!

Fighting imperfection is not a simple task and La Roche-Posay has combined their many years of experience in working with sensitive skin with an effective and highly tolerable anti-blemish system.

All the products are free from soap, colourants, parabens, oil… and bonus – La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water can be found in every step too!

I’m already loyal to the moisturizer in the set and I’ve been using it religiously for several months – if you try it and see the difference that it makes to the skin, one can’t simply live without it!

The idea of the set starts from a simple 3-step routine that should be at the base of every beauty regime: Cleanse, Tone, Correct & Hydrate.

Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser – first step is to clean the skin, of course; this cleanser aims at reducing the production of sebum and getting rid of bacteria that may lead to the formation of new spots.

It looks like a clear gel, it lathers really well and I can use it with my Clarisonic too; it's easy to rinse and leaves the skin feeling very clean.

Second step includes a new product to this line: Effaclar Clarifying Toner that smooths and tightens the pores; it contains Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid for a gentle exfoliation and Silica, Zinc Oxide and Zine Gluconate to absorb oil and provide a mattifying effect.

It's gentle on the skin, thanks to the no alcohol formula and leaves the skin feeling refreshed.

Finally, the Effaclar Duo [+] which moisturizes the skin and corrects red and brown marks left by blemishes.

I’ve already talked extensively about this product before, please refer to this post for more info.

Every step works integrally with the others to balance the skin, target concerns in a gentle way with guaranteed no irritation... or your money back!

New In / La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]

Today’s review is of the new launch from La Roche-Posay for 2014: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]*.

My skin has changed quite a lot in recent months: it used to be normal/combination with very few blemishes, but now it seems to have become dryer and I regularly suffer from spots and micro-cysts. You can imagine how annoying and upsetting it is, especially since many of the blemish-prone products on the market are for young skin and far too drying for my needs; it’s also frustrating because I feel like I have just finished dealing with a blemish, that I can already feel a new one ready to make an appearance.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo has been particularly formulated for women aged 18-35, but still providing the same soothing benefits – especially for sensitive skin - that La Roche-Posay is famous for.

The revolutionary formulation acts on every stage of the imperfection: starting from the initial inflammation, that produces an excess amount of sebum that blocks the pores; that way the sebum cannot surface, creating blackheads and the dreaded red painful blemishes. It is really a chain reaction because at this stage the surrounding cells, triggered by stress messages, release an abnormal amount of melatonin that leads to hyperpigmentation. Unfortunately, when melatonin builds up it is very difficult to eliminate and that’s why we are left with the red and brown marks, even months after the spot is actually gone.

Effaclar Duo aims at addressing all these issues and you got to love a multitasking cream because you definitely don’t want to pile  layers of products on already problematic skin. I think this cream will be a game changer for many women - It has certainly improved my skin and my daily routine!

The key ingredient is PROCERAD, a powerful patented ceramide that acts like an anti-inflammatory on the first phase, anti-pigmentary on the second and lastly preventing new spots and marks from developing.

I’ve been testing out this product for a month or so now and - although I’m not that perceptive to notice results withing 24hrs, myself  -  I did see a fading of red blemish marks in a matter of days; I also noticed a general improvement of the skin texture, pores look clearer and consequently a reduction on bumps and spots. One morning I woke up and BAM, my skin looked pretty good in the mirror – miles better than it had been in a while!

I also love the silky consistency - the skin feels smooth to the touch, making it a perfect base for make up too; it is also mattifying and hydrating throughout the day, so it can substitute your regular moisturizer.

Have you heard of this product yet? Looking forward to try it? Remember you can now find La Roche-Posay products in larger Boots stores nationwide, on Boots.com and LaRoche-Posay.co.uk

Best discovery of 2014 so far!!!



Review / Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask

It's no secret that I love Dirty Works skincare! Their Wake Up Call Face Wash, in particular, is one of my all time favourite cleanser and I'm already on my third bottle.
When I heard about Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask*, I knew it was going to be another great product, bound to be added to my must-have list.

This is a purifying mask, thanks to the green clay that detoxes the skin drawing out impurities but with added benefits of superfood berries!
I'm  quite the connoisseur when it comes to clay/charcoal masks: I've been using them since I was a teenager and tried many brands. They are very effective but can also be pretty aggressive and leave the skin feeling tight.
The Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask is a totally different experience!
It feels really fresh on the skin, like a splash of water thanks to the blueberry extracts which are rich in antioxidant that protect and nourish the skin, too.

I go to say that this product has been my saviour, recently.
As mentioned in my Monday's post, I've been having some skin trouble, due to the Konjac sponge. It's been pretty upsetting and worrying since I don't usually have skin issues - blemishwise. 

My skin felt very congested and unclean - I wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of impurities without being too aggressive.
This mask just came at the right time and is doing wonders to restore the balance in my 'tender' skin, calming it down and banishing spots.
I really can't recommend it enough and for £4.99 you're getting a great bargain, too. Available in Sainsbury's nationwide now.

Monthly ChitChat

L'Occitane was offering free hand cream when registering on the Facebook page; they seem to run this promotion all the time because I don't think I have ever paid for one of their hand creams - hehe :P They are the best tho, so I would gladly pay for them.

Anyway, you just had to print the voucher and take it in store and you could also choose from few different versions - I chose the Honey Hand Cream which just came out recently.

I love eating honey and the cream smells just like the food - consistency is just like the ordinary product... Enjoying using this a lot!

This is the most beautiful thing that I have EVER smelled!!!!!!

My mother-in-law gave me this bath bomb few weeks ago and OMG I can't stop sniffing it.

I can't bring myself to use it actually... hehe... I have unwrapped it and it's making my bathroom smell amazing.

It's the Goodnight Honey Bath Blaster... Carrying on with the honey theme, apparently ;)

It's from www.bombcosmetics.co.uk but they have few stand-alone stores around the Uk, too; they also do candles, bath & body products which are just as divine - I know they are in Buchanan Gallery so I will pop around soon and pick up few other items to try.

I requested a sample of Skinetica on their website; it's anti blemish solution treatment which seems to be natural, without harsh chemicals, side effect and non-toxic... I don't know, seems pretty vague and too good to be true?!

To be honest, I haven't had the chance to try it yet because my skin has been behaving particularly good lately (fingers crossed) and I will give it a bash since I only read raving reviews about this product. Have you tried it? What do you think?

Ops, nearly forgot to mention that I also won this giveaway from http://gemseren.blogspot.co.uk/ :)

Haul / Origins

I've been wanting to try more from Origins lately so I picked up a few items at the weekend, taking advantage of the 10% off and 500 bonus points in Debenhams.

Origins Mask Marvels Gift Set

I already knew I wanted to try the Clear Improvement mask; I use a mud/clay mask once a week and I'm running out of my current one so I needed to replace it very soon. I know charcoal is supposed to have the same purifying properties and I only read raves on the web so I clearly had to buy into the hype, at some point! ;)

I was mostly pleased when I spotted this gift set! It gives you the chance to try 3 different products and the bottle are 75ml, not small at all. The other masks are Out Of Trouble, another mask for problematic skin, and Drink Up, which target hydration.

I have only used Clear Improvement once and, although I can't comment on the longterm effect, I can say I really liked it - it definitely left my face squeaky clean.

Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel

Lately, I've been experiencing some unusual breakouts so it made sense to try another well recommended product.

This is a really tiny tiny bottle but you really need like 1/3 of a drop - I used it twice and I didn't even have to squeeze the bottle but just swipe my finger on the top and get just enough gel.

This product works brilliantly and it dried my spot beautifully... I could easily get addicted to this stuff!

It also has kinda of peppery scent that I love!!! ;)

Have you tried any of these? Any Origins recommendation to pop on my wishlist?

xx

Introducing / Korres

First of all, I order these on Lookfantastic.com - yay or nay?

It was actually an ordeal! Basically, they sent me 2 wrong/faulty items and I contacted them straight away to check how to proceed. After three days still no answer (mind you, I emailed them every 24hr) so I phoned them up (0845 number, not happy about that!) and I was asked to email the pictures of the products that required replacement. Fine, no problem at all and in fact I sent the pictures the same day.

Another three days go by and no sigh of package or reply from them, so I phoned again and FINALLY they agreed to send me the correct items.

Not sure its worth ordering again from them, to be honest - ok, I admit prices can be good (for example, I placed this order because I received a £5 off on orders of £30); also, in their favour I got to say they didn't ask me to send back anything (suppose as they don't do free returns) but if something goes wrong, its a really hassle. 

Poor, poor customer service!

What about you guys? Any bad experience with them?

Anyway, I wanted to try Korres for a while now and here's what I got:

- Milk Proteins Cleansing & Make Up Removing Wipes: nothing exciting about these wipes, good when travelling and milk proteins are renewed to be good for the skin.

- Lip Butter in Pomegranate: I read many good reviews about this one. Quite nice balm and colour is really bright, in fact so strong that you must be careful when apply and use a mirror. I really like the packaging.

 - Yoghurt mask: this mask is for normal to combination skin and it's describe as "ultra-soothing and cooling mask for long-lasting hydration and comfort to oily, yet dehydrated skin". 

This is my favourite item of the lot - it smells amazing, truly amazing and feels even better on the skin.

In the picture, you can also see the day cream of the same collection because they originally sent me the cream instead of the mask. The cream seems a bit too rich for me and its probably better for mature skin, so I will pass it over to my mum.

 

- Milk Soap for Stressed Skin: as you can tell, I like milk (and derivates) in my face products. :)

Usually, I don't use solid soap on my face but if I end up not liking these, they can also be used for the body. They come in a nice box and carving on the bar - pretty! 

Samples! always welcome, especially Dermatologica's ones.

Finally - in the same order - I bought the followings:

- Ole Henriksen's African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser: this is another hyped product in many blogs, but it has failed to impress ME for now. I've been using it for a week now and I would say my skin is 'a tad' worst; I had same breaks out on my chin which, lucky, is quiet unusual for me. I think I'll give it a rest and try it again in a few weeks. I like the foaming pump tho. 

- Murad's Blemish Spot Treatment: as just mentioned above, I don't usually get spots so I merely bought this because it was down to 2 pounds and I needed to reach the minimum amount to use my coupon. :)

It can always come in handy.